Yes We Are

We are created in the likeness of God.

What does that mean? It means that like Him creative powers are present in us. We can speak things into existence, heal the sick, etc.

Do we really believe this? Why then do we place such limits on ourselves?

Purpose

Ladies,
Once again I celebrate life today because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. When I consider why fearfully, I realize that the creator of the human being must be reverentially feared because of the complexities involved in the creation of humans. No human being can even begin to understand the human mind nor our physical make up. It cannot be duplicated. It is said that humans use just 10% of their minds yet look at all that we have accomplished. We must fear this awesome wonder, Jehovah who made the universe and everything in it.

I am humbled by the fact that we were created with a purpose in mind. Not one of us, is here on earth, without a purpose and a destiny in place for us. We are destined for something on this earth. What is it that you were created for?

I am saddened because we continue to live lives of desperation, frustration and condemnation. We major on the minors, become overwhelmed by life and curse our very existence. If only we stay plugged in to God not for what He can give to us but because in Him lies the road map to our destinies. To be honest, many times I look to Him for the fulfillment of my plans and not necessarily for instructions to fulfill His.

When we wait for instructions, do we move when He says so, or do we operate on what we think is the right thing to do?

Are we relying on God as if our very lives depend on it? We should, because our lives depend on our relying on, trusting in and following Him!

God has a plan for our lives and I pray that our faith will keep us anchored to Him because only He has the key to unlock that which He has placed in us. It requires faith to pursue but we know that He is faithful and will not cause us to fail eternally. His destiny is sure, his plans for us are sure and His desire for us is sure and our lives in Him is secure.

Trust Him with everything that is in you and do not lean on your own understanding because He knows the path we take and he knows the plans He has for our lives. Let go of all that you are holding on to and release yourself into His hands. What better hands to be in, than the one who knows us intimately in ways that no one alive can or will. He created us for a reason and it is the fulfillment of that purpose that I am pursuing.

Let's pursue together as we journey on the road of life as sisters holding each other up as we travel along.

A New Day

Sisters, it is a new day!

It is said that the greatest tragedy is a life that is lived without purpose.

It's a new day and God is totally in control of our lives. Let us let go and let God! Let us abandon self and flow by the spirit because that is where we will find liberty.

Don't be afraid to let go and trust him because he will not let us fall!

Let us be praying for each other because each of us has some ties that needs to be loosened and some loose ends that needs to be tied!

Who are you? Why are you here? Where are you going?

If we believe that El Elyon has great plans for our life, how are we living?

Check In

Hi Ladies,

Just wanted to reach out and commend you for pushing through! I know it's challenging but He is able to take us through and He is taking us through.

Remember to taste and see that the Lord is good for those who take refuge in him are blessed. Fear Him those of us who called ourselves His followers for those of us who do, will lack nothing. (SiStA TaLk paraphrase)

So warriors, we are armed and dangerous!

Women of moderation and excellence!

Day 4

Taste and see that the Lord is good and blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. Refuge: to seek refuge, flee for protection, a) to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God).

Do we escape or run away to Him for protection from all things that so easily weighs us down? Do we really place all of our hope in him? Do we really trust Him with childlike faith? Do we?

As we fast today, let the hunger pangs remind us to desire Him more than food or anything else. Let us place Him above all things. Let us desire Him with all of our being and drink of Him.

Allow our desire for more of Him take us over completely today.

He the nearer we draw near to Him the closer he will draw to us. As much of Him as we want, is available to us.

Indeed our desire for Him must surpass our desire for financial stability, god fearing spouses, physical and emotional intimacy, wonderful children, prosperity and all that comes along with that. How potent is our desire for Him? What is our greatest desire today?

As we go through the day will our focus be upon the fact that we cant wait to eat and bwoy mi stomach twisting or will our focus be, "Lord, more of your presence, more of you".Don't you feel His presence all around you right now?

Isn't it sweet to focus completely on Him today and just drink and eat of Him?

Day 3

Sisters and women of excellence, today's topic is Less Is More. Are we "eating " more than we really need? I am not just referring to food. We must be honest with ourselves and evaluate our lives. There are so many areas of excess in our lives, it leads me to ask the following questions,

1). How much are you eating (not just food)?
2). How excessive are you?
3). What area(s) of your life is out of control? and if it is, is it out of control to the Lord?

4). Are you given to gossipping about others, killing them quietly with the venom that can so easily flow from our lips?
5) How committed are you to the journey that we are on? Have you hissed your teeth thinking you are fine and don't need to be so stringent?
6). Are you treating this as a call from God or just a "thing" that you chose to do?
7). Are you anticipating the move of God that is coming and have you submitted your will to Him as it relates to this process?
8).Are you humble enough to accept correction from anyone of is it only from "certain" people?
9). Is your attitude right?
10). Do you always have to be right and do you think you are finejust the way you are?
11). Do you measure yourself and your own worth according to the standards set by others around you?
12). Does your self-esteem rise and fall with the whims of popular opinion and do you allow other people to control how you think about yourself?


Psalm139:23 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I feel a storm coming and see it stirring in the horizon! and I encourage you sisters to hold on to your seat belts because the Lord will be moving and shaking us right into our destinies!Do not be afraid!
Psalm 139 17How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Sisters, I must confess that I am getting whiplash from asking myself these questions.
Remember we have committed to praying for each other and He who began the good work in us is faithful(truthful, accurate) and able to complete it.

Women Of moderation - And We Are Off!!!

And we are off!

Our kick off was great as we shared our hopes for the program. We have weighed in, tabulated, committed and have begun the journey!

It is now day 2 of pursuing excellence in becoming women of moderation and it is quite a challenge but we are in for a treat nonetheless. Yesterday was a tough one for me not because of the eating, which was our half day, but to get in my exercise so I had to use yesterday as my exercise free day. Oh my goodness!

I'm really excited about the journey that we are on. The study is tremendous and I know the results of all of our efforts will be absolutely astounding!

You ladies are absolutely wonderful and your enthusiasm infectious!

Our passage for the week is:
Psalm 34: 8 O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.(C)
9 fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear.

So ladies lets continue onward reverencing and worshiping our Abba Father who has equipped us for the task at hand!

Sometimes

Unforgiveness is like an albatross around our necks which in time will pull us to the bottom of the sea. We forgive others not because they deserve it but because we deserve to be free.

Easy? absolutely not but we never know what we are made of until we are forced to make hard decisions. That which has been embedded deep within sometimes requires a great deal of "pulling" for it to come to the surface.

The pulling takes different shapes and forms but ultimately, we can end up being better off. This of course is based upon our perspective. Most of the time we focus more on the physical as if we are one dimensional beings. So if financially, or physically, or relationally things aren't going well, we see nothing to be thankful for. After all, we are seeking perfection, so we say, yet we are not willing to pay the price for that.

Whoever said if something is worth having, it is worth fighting for?

Fooled

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” Soren Kierkegaard, philosopher

Believe

Believe in the Lord & the power of His might. Great things you can do when you believe. Hebrews 11:16 says “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. It was faith that caused Noah to build an Ark when there was no rain in sight. It was faith that caused Sarah to conceive and have a baby as an old woman. It was faith that caused Abraham to leave all that he had to go to a foreign land and settle believing that God was going to make a mighty nation though Him. Be bold and courageous. Do not be afraid because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. And, he will make a way for you (Fears – being alone, not being popular, financial instability etc)

Endurance - Never give up in spite of what you are going through. Do not allow the challenges you face to cripple you and cause you to lose hope. Use each challenge as stepping stones. Do not settle for less than you deserve because you were made in the image and likeness of the God who created the universe and all that is within it.

Limitations – Remove all limitations which you have placed on the Lord by placing them on yourself. There are no limits with God because HE is ALL powerful and mighty. Remove the limitations that you have placed on yourself. . If you think you can, you will. Once you believe that you can then nothing can stop you. Reach beyond the limits!

Inquire of God and He will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know about. He said He is your guide and He will lead you beside still waters and restore your soul. You might feel beaten up by circumstances beyond your control, you have so, much on your mind but trust Him, talk with Him and He will answer you.

Experience God through obedience of His word,. Call upon Him and He will answer you. He said that those who seek him will find Him and He is rewards those who carefully & consistently seek him. Do you want wisdom? Ask. Knowledge, self control, confidence? Ask believing that He is going to answer and look for the answer, and Act. Expect Him to answer you and do not give up when it seems that your answer will not come. Daniel fasted and prayed about some things for 21 days……

Victory- A life lived with total confidence in God is a victorious one. Your belief will be evident as you live daily and make choices based upon God’s directions. How will you know what He’s saying? Through reading the Word of God, the Bible.

Encouragement – be encouraged and do not be dismayed because God has begun a good work in you and He is faithful to complete it. He has not and will not give up on you and I challenge you not to give up on Him. Remember He love each of you so much that He gave His only son to die for you in order to give you a chance.

What are you saying?

(Today i am listeing Leslie Venick speak)

What am I saying to myself?

Healthy self esteem & self image is thinking true about oneself. Our thoughts influences our feelings.

Emotions are the body's reaction to our thoughts. We can't change our feelings directly but when we change how we think, we then change how we feel.

Proverbs18:21 "Life and death is in the power of the tongue..."

We all talk to ourselves. There is always internal dialogue going on. What are you telling you?

Are we promoting the negative within us and minimizing the positive?

Phillipians 4: 8 says
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Who knows the way I take but God alone!

Who knows the way I take but God alone!
Fifty people can look at your life, or my life,
and in their mind believe
they know all the answers,
and each will have a different answer,
but God says,
He alone knows the way that I take,
or that you take.

There will always be judges
sitting in the grandstands,
but as a child of God
we only have one Judge.
And He is able to judge according
to righteousness and mercy.
He sees all our yesterdays,
He sees the moment,
and He sees all our
tomorrows.

Our Father looks at the intent of our heart.
So, if and when, you find yourself in the hands of many judges, take heart,
don't let their opinion break your spirit,
for you have the Holy God
who searches depths no finite mind
can comprehend.
God, will always and forever bring good out of the bad events
or circumstances of our lives.

This is when we must trust God and not lean on our own understanding.
God is God!
He will never allow
His children to suffer without
a higher purpose to accomplish.

We must never forget this.
Our Heavenly Father hears our silent cry!
He will never ignore you or pass you by.

His timing is always perfect,
He will not fail you!!

Why

What is it that causes us to not value who we are as women?

Why do we allow ourselves to be taken for granted, disrespected and devalued yet still maintain those relationships?

What causes us to value ourselves so little and yet value others more, even those who are not worthy of the esteem we place on them?

Why do we trust others so easily and ourselves so little?

Why do we know better yet not do it?

Why do we settle into or for something even when it is killing us steadily on the inside?

Why are we afraid of letting go?

If we do, what do we have to lose?

When you feel you can't trust yourself, who can you trust? Who do you trust? Who should you trust?

Are we to accept everyone who comes along and show interest in us?

Are there people in our lives who are diversions?

Have we given people positions in our lives that they were not meant to have and as a result chaos ensues and we end being confused and fearful?

Are we present as we live daily lives or are we just existing?

Dreams

What do you do with the dream that was deposited in you? Tolerate it, ignore it stifle it or realize it? are you afraid to dream at all or only out loud?

What dream? Where did that desire, that urgent stirring way down on the inside of you come from? Why can't you shake it, ignore or stifle it for long?

What are you going to do about it?

For God has not given you a spirit of fear but one of power, love (the kind that overcomes everything) and a sound mind(the mindset of an overcomer, conqueror)!

You can do it!

Remember, you are never alone!

Love In Action

I read this and wanted to share it.
It was very humbling for me as it made me take a long look at how I love. Is my "love" convenient or is it sacrificial. Read this!

Just Stay

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

'Your son is here,' she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand.

The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.

All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.

Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died.

The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

'Who was that man?' he asked.

The nurse was startled, 'He was your father,' she answered.

'No, he wasn't,' the Marine replied. 'I never saw him before in my life.'

'Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?'

'I knew right away there had been a mistake,
but I also knew he needed his son, and his
son just wasn't here.


When I realized that he was too sick to tell
whether or not I was his son,
knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.'

The next time someone needs you ... just be there.

Just Stay.
**************

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY
HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Woman

Maya Angelou said, "A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him to find her."

Wow! Where is my heart hidden and does it take a search to find me or just merely glance? How confident am I in me? Am I defined by the one I am with or can I confidently stand alone? Am I complete without someone in my life or do I need someone to fell complete? Who am I?

The Right Thing

How do we determine what is the right thing to do? What is our measuring stick? Some say it is how you feel but do we all feel the same way about things? Does that then mean nothing is right or wrong since it is based upon our interpretation, our feelings? are feelings standard or are they fickle, do they change from one situation to the next?

We always feel that once we desire a thing that makes it right. I mean, there is no way a desire can be wrong because it just flows naturally out of us, right? Maybe not! If nothing else, one thing i am sure of if nothing else, is that we have the ability to control ourselves. Now that my friend is true power! Sounds easy huh? Not! Self control is one of the hardest thing for me to do.

What do you think?

Loving Self

Many of us feel guilty to focus on ourselves as we think that it is selfish. But, if we don't know how to love ourselves then there is no way we are capable of loving others. We cannot take anyone to where we have never been neither can we give someone something that we do not have.

We have to know ourselves first before we are capable of truly loving someone else. Love is patience and kindness, forgiveness, not keeping a record of wrong, etc and many of us are not kind to ourselves and does not forgive ourselves for things that have happened in our lives. Some of which was not our faults.

Today, I hope that we will seek to better understand ourselves and spend moments replenishing our souls. We must guard our hearts vigilantly and diligently because from it flows everything.

Choices

Consequences are results of our choices.

What do you choose?

Choices

Do we realize the power which is within us?

Consequences are the results of our choices.

What are your choices?