Dust Off Your Feet

As we traverse through this time span called our lives, we are bound to encounter individuals or groups of individuals that need our help. It is inevitable that at some time, we will need assistance or encouragement for ourselves. There are people for whom it is a passion and purpose driven call to help others. There is seldom an occasion that you wouldn't be drawn to help; it is just how the wires are connected. Many of the self-care skills that are prescribed for the helping professions must also be applied to personal relationships. It is important to understand that true change will only occur when the individual decides to change. There will be times that you want better for a person than they have decided that they want for themselves. This may not be obvious from the outset, but in time, it will be made clear. 

And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.

You will find that some people will only call or come around when they need some help. There will be some people who ask for your advice or guidance but will consistently ignore it. There will even be those people that you reach out to for a listening ear but in return you will get a litany of their issues, leaving you more burdened  than you initially were. 

It doesn't make much sense to continue to attempt to force change or enable negative habits and behaviors. What benefit is there to pushing against a brick wall?  How does it help when you are losing your voice or losing sleep then others are content with the paths they have chosen? While I'm never an advocate for 'giving up' on a person or situation, I do think that wisdom will show you when you have done all that you can do. There are even times when you can speak from a prophetic voice that people will turn a deaf ear. 

The hardest thing to do is to leave someone you care about to their own devices when unnecessary struggle, doom and gloom are imminent....but sometimes it is just necessary. It doesn't mean that you don't care. I am of the belief that as long as there is life, there is hope. Continue to hope....Continue to pray.

Love y'all!!!

COMMITTED

Remember the vows you made to your spouse on your wedding day. Remember the promises that you've made along the way. Don't forget the work, sacrifices, adjustments and tweaking  it took to get to this very moment. It seems pretty easy to get all dressed up (or not) and stand before God and guests and repeat after the officiant. I promise (vow) to love, honor, and cherish you, keeping myself only unto you. What does that really mean? Is it just tradition, a following of what's expected to be said?

To love according to 1 Corinthians 13, you are saying that you will be patient with your spouse, your will support and not be jealous of their successes, you will not boast of your accomplishments in a rude or arrogant way. You are committed to compromise, and being honest and truthful. You will not continually remind of past failures or errors. When you vow to love you vow to believe your spouse and believe in your spouse and endure with your spouse. This love is always available and never fails. 

To honors is  to regard or treat (someone) with admiration and respect. Greet your spouse when you see them. Don't call them names or speak negatively about them in public. Don't do anything to them that you would not want done to you.

To cherish is to hold dear, cultivate with care and affection. Don't take your spouse for granted. Treasure the time that you have been given to share. Ask a widow or widower what they would do for just a little more time. To keep myself only unto you- that's simple - DON'T CHEAT!!! Not physically, not emotionally. Don't  give other people any parts of your body, time or attention that are for your spouse! 

Take a moment to look at your wedding video or pictures to remind yourself why you said 'I Do' and who you said it to (somebody needed that reminder). 

Stay committed.

Love y'all!!!

BE ANGRY BUT SIN NOT

In my life, I have repeatedly found myself in situations where I was upset but then made to feel as though I had no right to be. I think we have all found ourselves in situations that caused us to feel angry. There seems to be an expectation for people not to become angry. If you get angry, you aren't kind. If you get angry, you couldn't possibly a Christian. These views could not be farther from the truth. I was once in a training for CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and the facilitator made a statement that made all of the sense in the world but I had never thought about it before then. Anger is not the initial emotion. Most people move to feeling anger after one of three - hurt, fear, or disappointment. These are all feelings that are acceptable and understandable, so why is not anger more understood? Why am I not allowed to feel anger and still be a good Christian person? Being a kind person does not mean that you don't hurt, you don't feel fear or you don't have expectations that sometimes don't get met. On any given day a person can encounter situations that could lead to feelings of anger.

                                                      

Ephesians 4:26-27King James Version (KJV)

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

Our responsibility lies in how we respond to the anger. Incorrect responses include but are not limited to retaliation, revenge, retribution, withdrawal, shutting down or internalizing. Recognize the source of the anger and process the feeling from there. Address the hurt, face the fear, verbalize your expectations. Find your peace and rest in it. 

Love Y'all!!! 

JUST KICKING IT!!

Save yourself for the one from God. What's the harm in kicking it from time to time? When God designed you, He put everything inside you to fit the Boaz He designed for you. You were created beautiful, wonderfully made, more precious than rubies or diamonds. 

Along came bozo #1 and you cooked dinner for him while y'all were kicking it. What's the harm? After all, you love to cook. When bozo  #1 is out of the picture, he takes with him a part of that love for cooking. He leaves behind the pain and regret that you gave so much of your gift to someone undeserving. So when you meet the next guy, you have resolved not to cook. The harm in that is your Boaz is designed to love that about you. With each temporary experience, we are changed. This change is not always for the positive. Repeated experiences of disappointment and unfulfilled expectations slowly eat away at your mine of precious jewels. There is no future in just kicking it. There is no hope of commitment or planning for the future. The only thing to look forward to is the next time you will kick it. How much of your treasure will you lose the next time? How much hurt and disappointment will he leave with you? How will the soul connection changed who you are? Can you walk away as the Proverbs 31 woman that you were designed to be?

How do you know he's Bozo? You can't base this on looks, dress or location. You can find bozos in the street, at work, at the club and in the church. Yes, it is sad to say but they are in the church too. If he requests or requires you to lower your standard to be with him, that is Bozo. If he is okay with taking your virtue with no regard, that's a Bozo. If he wants husband treatment with boo or boyfriend status, that is a Bozo. 

The Bozo isn't worth it. Just kicking it isn't worth it. You leave a bit of your  soul with everyone that comes and goes. What's even worse is that an individual that had no plans of commitment or fidelity has left a part of them with you. Their patterns, attitude and behaviors have become a part of you.

Your Boaz will commit to you, plan a future with you, respect and honor you. He won't compromise your value because he is holding to a God standard also. Boaz is looking for his Ruth and not a Jezebel. Get a standard, raise your standard and hold to your standard. There are some goals and personal improvement tasks that need your attention.
Stop wasting your time just kicking it!!

At The Red Sea

God could have chosen to have the Red Sea all dried by the time the children of Israel arrived. They would have walked across and basically disappeared from sight. Believing in magic and mysticism, Pharaoh would have explained it away claiming Moses performed some trick. Instead God chose to allow Pharaoh to be right on their heels before making a way when no one could see a way. He allowed the enemy to view the glory and power of God at work in the lives of His people. Not only did the children of Israel experience another miracle of God's hand but the enemy also had to witness it so everyone would know that it was God and only God!

Even after witnessing the power of God, the enemy didn't stop pursuit. Had they turned back at that moment, then they would have been spared. The problem with that is that Pharaoh would have just tried to find another way to attack, harass and hurt and kill the children of Israel. God allowed them to keep coming until HE said no more. While God was preparing a way out of trouble for His people, He was also creating the trap for the enemies demise.

So if you are standing at your Red Sea with the enemy on your trail, just lift your hands to God and ask Him to make a way because you can't see a way. He is more than willing and able to not only deliver you from the enemy but He will stop the enemy from ever coming for you again.

Gotta Make It Home

I have a goal or bucket list item to run a 5k. I have even registered for one a few months away. I am using an app for couch to 5k or 0 to 5k to help me  train. It is an 8 week training to gradually get you to running for about 35-40 minutes nonstop, which is the average time it takes to run a 5k. I haven't done an intentional run since I left the military many many moons ago. The week 1 day 1 listed the program as a warm up walk and alternating 1 min run with 1 min walk. When you haven't run in years one minute can seem like an eternity.

I am determined to complete the program and run the 5k. During my walk/runs, I sometimes feel pains in areas of my legs that I did not know could hurt so badly. The program cues you when to walk and when to run. Oh what joy when it says.....slow down and walk. Sweet relief, but just momentarily because it will soon say...start running! The pain doesn't last long and after a day off, I am ready to go again.

I start out from my house and run through the park and then out to the main road that runs through the development. Strangely enough the best part for me is when it announces- You Have Reached The Halfway Mark!! You would think that could be discouraging but I get excited as I turn back and head home. The entire way I am thinking- all I have to do is make it home. I know when I get home, I can rest, relax, rehydrate and rejuvenate. When I get home it wall all be worth it.

^{Matthew 25:21}
 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Life gets hard sometimes. We will have hills and valleys, bumps and bruises, and feel some pain along the way. No matter how it hurts, keep going. There is relief at home. All we have to do is make it home and we can find rest in the arms of our Saviour. Stay encouraged, keep pressing. The race isn't given to the swift....

Just make it home.

Love Y'all  

God Knows My Name

As the youngest child, it is natural that I was never the first to do anything. Even though there are nine of us, my sibling closest in age is just two years ahead of me. All through our school aged years I was referred to as A's sister. Even as an adult people still refer and remember me as A's sister. Even when they struggle to remember a name, her name is the first one that is called. I often have to remind people that I'm the little sister...G. She is an awesome person and woman of God so it's cool. 

I moved my church membership about 4 years ago into a church in which I had one older sister join decades before. She is such a social butterfly and everyone knows her in every church we attend. Even when I moved my membership to another city, people kept welcoming me the first several weeks as though I was visiting until my sister came to speak. Well whadaya know....now I'm known as Sis. D's sister. And that's cool too because she is also an awesome person and woman of God.

I am also happily married to a pretty well known guy in our area. He knows quite a few people and many people know of him because of community activities and connections he's made through church and business over the years. I count it an honor to share this ordained covenant with him. He's an out front person and I stay more in the background, but always supporting. He honors me and lavishes me with devotion and words of love and commitment publicly.  With that, I am now referred to as K's wife. 

I just attended a family reunion and by the end of the weekend, my oldest cousin (83) finally remembered who I was upon sight. I thought it was cute and funny because I have seen him around town and at other family events several times. He always re-introduces himself. Well after the family worshiped together he came to me and said he was so happy to have looked up and saw me there. I asked who I was and without hesitation he replied.....DOC'S GRANDDAUGHTER!(That's a new one..lol)

Luke 10:19-20

…19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."

When I stand before God, He won't reference anybody else. He won't judge me base on anyone else. In my spot in the Lamb's book of life there will only be My Name. The plans for my mansion aren't labeled A's sister. God loves me and He knows My Name. He will call me by My Name!

Love Y'all!!!