I got excited when I saw the text that my #proof copy of my newest book “Thank You For The Ice Cream”, shipped today!!! I will have it in my hands tomorrow!

The word PROOF stood out to me. Proof means anything serving as evidence,

• As an adjective it’s evidence sufficient to establish something; impenetrable, impervious, or invulnerable.
• As a verb it’s used to test; examine for flaws, errors, etc. To check against a standard or standards.

So the way I see it, this copy is irrefutable evidence that my book is real. It went from a thought to a physical substance. Now although my book is not complete, I have evidence or a proof copy that it at least exists. I’m now able to show people something even though it’s not the finished product. I have proof! And the fact that it has been shipped and is on the way gives me even more excitement in the guarantee that it will be in my hand by the delivery date given. I can track my package too! God guarantees that the vision will not be one day late! The scripture says that from the moment Daniel set his heart to understand, and to humble himself before God, his words were heard but the angel ran into great opposition which delayed Daniels answer for twenty-one days. No matter how many times I check the tracking it’s not going to speed up the delivery time.

Just like when a woman is pregnant within her first trimester, there are no SIGNS, no proof of life because she is not showing a big pop belly yet but the blood test she takes shows proof that she is pregnant. Then when she hears the heartbeat for the first time is another proof that a baby is growing inside. But we do not want to rush a pregnancy and deliver the baby prematurely because that baby will not be as healthy as it would if it were to go full-term.

I want to encourage you today. Wait I say, on the Lord and again I say wait. Be patient and of good courage, you don’t want to rush your purpose, your dream, your vision. It will speak and it will not be late.

Thank Him while in the waiting period and stay focused on the proof. I admonish you to look for signs of proof all around you. I promise you they are there if you are willing to see them. Seek, look for it and you WILL find!

I was sharing with my husband these beautifully orchestrated encounters with different people and realized how frequently they were happening. Then I said, “the contractions are getting closer”. I did not put two and two together until I said that. Do you see the signs in your life? -You have the proof, the belly is big, the due date is here and the contractions have started.

When my contractions were close enough and I was dilated enough that’s when the doctor said it was time. When he saw that everything was lining up he put his scrubs on. When God sees you in alignment with his word then he is ready to perform the miracle like he told the prophet Jeremiah.

The question is, are you in alignment or is this a false call and you just have Braxton Hicks?

How did I know the difference between Braxtons and the real ones? The Braxton hicks go away after a while but the real contractions start getting closer and closer, stronger and stronger where you can barely stand up straight anymore because you are doubled over by the intense pain. The Braxton Hicks are just getting you prepared for the final act. Are you one of those people that will constantly run to the hospital whenever you feel a slight pain only to be sent back home because it was a false alarm. Stop wasting your energy on false alarms and prepare yourself for the manifestation!

I know your uncomfortable, I know your not feeling yourself these days, I know you can’t do or wear what you used to but for the JOY that is set before you, endure! This too shall pass. Your body will go back to normal, you may have some stretch marks but that is only to remind you of that moment in life so you never forget how you’ve been stretched beyond your comfort zone. How you carried and protected what God entrusted you with. And how you will continue to labor in the faith over what is rightfully yours.

I am so #happy and #grateful that God chose me to carry his word. He’s graced me and given me the strength to give birth to it! I choose to be happy no matter how hurt I may feel because I know the greater is near and God would never break a promise.

What are you #thankful for?

#Beauty4Ashes

#Thankful Journey Day 6

Have you been a victim to an April Fools Day trick?

It’s #AprilFoolsDay and I’m thinking of how many times I’ve been fooled by my enemies into believing the lies. Lies I’ve accepted as truth in regards to my life, my identity, my money, my health, my kids, my assets, my future, my dreams, my goals, my business, my purpose, my careers, my family, my marriage, my friends, my church, etc. You get the picture right?

If I were to add up the lies and compare them to the truths I’ve believed over the years, I’d probably be surprised about the results. I can guarantee that I’ve believed the lies more than I have the truths. Why is that? Have you ever thought about that

I can speak on my behalf and what I know is this. It’s easier to believe in what I can see rather than what is unseen. We say we believe in the unseen but do we really? Our actions and our lives tell the truth of what we believe.

Esau thought he believed until he was tested with hunger and sold his birthright for a meal to satisfy him at that moment. He wasn’t willing to delay instant gratification for a greater future gain. Scripture says…

And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal. For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears.

Hebrews 12:15-17

After the fact, Esau realized he made a stupid decision and wanted another chance to be in alignment for the blessing he was rejected because there were no more chances, even though he was probably really sorry. You know men don’t cry that easy but when they do, you know its serious. Well the men in my life are like that. This scripture alone is an eye opener if you really look at it. It will humble us as to make sure we don’t follow Esau’s example and give up the intangibles for the temporary fixes. You may not get another opportunity, no matter how hard you repent and cry about it.

Now this is a double-edged sword because when someone tricks you or makes you appear stupid they are the ones making a fool of you but when you trick yourself by believing the lie making yourself think that you won’t look stupid then you’ve made a fool of your own self. Wait what?!

Don’t be afraid when the enemy tries to deceive you by tempting you to believe you’d be made the fool if you presume true the promises of God. In reality he’s the one making you the fool because you have more faith in the fact that you will appear silly to others rather than live in the promises. God wants to make good on what He committed to you and He also guarantees that you will not be put to shame if you trust him!

I am so happy and #grateful that I’m not a fool. A fool is someone who doesn’t believe in God. A fool is someone who is lacking in judgement or prudence. I will not be like Esau and fall prey to the enemies foolish tricks but I will place my confident in God and his word.

#Thankful Journey Day 4

“I assure you: You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. When a woman is in labor she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will rob you of your joy. In that day you will not ask Me anything. “I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. John 16:20-24

When I was in labor with my last child, I was in a lot of pain. Being it was my fourth child the doctor and nurses wanted to make me as comfortable as possible meaning they were going to give me lots of pain meds and I thought what a nice gesture. Well, I wasn’t planning on having her naturally, I had an epidural with all my children. Hats off to the women who gave birth naturally, but I did not want to experience that. After my first child using the epidural, it was like heaven, I didn’t feel a thing! At least not until after the meds wore off. So here I was, fourth time around.

Crying from the excruciating contractions, that radiated from the spine of my lower back to the front of my belly button. All I could think of was when are they going to give me the epidural. I waited as close to delivery time as I could until my contractions started coming closer and closer and they would not let up. I would watch the needles draw out the contractions on that hospital graph the nurses would read, and stare at the machine as it went higher and higher at each contraction, meaning the pain was getting stronger and stronger each time. I made a point to bring that to my husbands attention. Lol.

This pain seemed different with this pregnancy because I was in pain months before my due date. I just new that this baby was laying on my bones and I was ready for her to come out. The anesthesiologist finally came and inserted that giant needle in my back to start what I thought would be relief. Not so. The pain medicine was not working! Oh my God! I called the nurse and said I needed something else because the meds were not working so another anesthesiologist came and gave me a spinal, you know the ones they give to women who are to have a C-Section. I didn’t care what they gave me as long as it worked! Well after a few minutes, my legs were numb, but my back and stomach were still giving me the pain signals. I remember crying to my husband. Asking for his hand to squeeze to try and endure the pain. I also started to push against my stomach whenever I felt a contraction to counter the pain and that helped me to endure a bit longer.

I can recall as if it were yesterday when I told God, “if I have to go through with the pain, at least cause her to come quickly”. And can I tell you, she came within the next thirty minutes. In all I had been enduring labor pain for a total of two and a half hours. Not bad when you think of other baby delivery stories you’ve heard.

Little did I know that pregnancy would signify a prophetic season for me and for the body of Christ. Because there are many seasons in our lives when we endure pain on many levels but we have the power to declare the end from the beginning. Our mindset should be, “Lord, if I must go through this tough situation, please help me to endure through it and let me come out of this situation quickly”.

The scripture says when a woman is in labor she has pain because her time has come! If you are experiencing pain, your time has come! But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the JOY that a person has been born into the world. I am about to get a little graphic here but I must try to drive this point home. When I was pushing, the doctor would coach me through and tell me to push as hard as I can every time I have a contraction and so I did as instructed. I did not want to delay the process if I had the power to push her out. I was determined to get this over with!

At times, I pushed when I was not supposed to and the doctor would yell at me to stop as I could hurt the baby and myself. Sometimes, we need to yield to the direction of Gods Holy Spirit as he leads us towards the right path to our expected end. God has the best plans for us, he knows the outcome and will ensure we arrive safely and without regret, hurt or shame. Finally, the doctor says, “this is it, make this last push count”. Okay, even though he said that same line three times before, I was ready to do it! I thought to myself as I’m gritting my teeth, praying to God that this would be it! I pushed for the final time and oh my, I felt as though someone was ripping my insides out and breaking apart my legs at the same time. The pain was literally crawling up my spine to my brain. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to run, I had to deal with the pain and PUSH! But at that last push, I felt the release of her head and the pain lifted from my body as if someone carried it away like a heavy blanket, I sighed deeply with relief! Although her entire body had not been fully removed I felt alleviated of the pain. Everything after that point didn’t matter.

At that moment a deep reverence flooded my soul as they placed her warm naked body on my chest. I was in awe at what had arrived and how blessed I was to have her and my focus shifted from pain to bliss in just seconds.

Jesus told his disciples that they too would experience sorrow but that they would see him again and no one would be able to rob them of their joy, and that they would have need of nothing. That’s how I felt when I looked at my beautiful baby girl. My sorrow was turned to joy. I didn’t need anything else, my joy was complete. I was truly happy.

Jesus said to his disciples, “I assure you”. Assure means to declare earnestly to; inform or tell positively; state with confidence to: to pledge or promise; give surety of; to guarantee. Now we know anything Jesus guarantees is a done deal. Has God guaranteed some promises to you? Are you asking? Ask so that your joy may be full.

I am #happy and #grateful that when I ask God hears and and I have full joy even through adverse circumstances.

What are you thankful for?

Can I be transparent with you?

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I sometimes struggle when I see someone using or preaching the same ideas I have as if they were scrolling my social media pages, or websites and taking my messages and repackaging them with their signature on it. But God has to constantly remind me that He speaks to everyone who is listening. He shares the same spirit with all his children. So I shouldn’t get beside myself and think that I am the only one with that revelation, concept or idea. One of the prophets suffered from that syndrome, I think it was Jeremiah.

Every time the enemy tries to distract me with those thoughts, God reminds me of Paul’s testimonies. Where he tells the church at Corinthians;

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

And what is Mari but a piece of the puzzle? Paul knew his part. He was confident in his role in life. He also knew that he was to work alongside his brothers and sisters as coworkers for the cause. He was well aware of the fact that we will be rewarded based upon our own work, not someone else’s.

What do you have that you didn’t receive?

The giftings we’ve received were not conjured up by our own efforts. Keep in perspective that God gave them to us. Don’t get inflated with pride, who made you so superior? You received first from Him, then you gave. You cannot give what you don’t have.

Look what Paul says to the Philippians with such profoundly humbling words while in prison; 

Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly. To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment. What does it matter?

In other words, Paul is saying, who cares who is trying to gain from my obscurity, my bondage, and my teachings! Even if their motives may not be pure, as long as the message is getting out to the people, I am happy… Someone probably feels the same way about me. He goes on to say…

Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Wow, what a perspective Paul had! He had no doubt or fear of shame about his situation because he knew Christ (the anointing) on his life will always be honored, visible and irrefutable, whether in his lifetime or thereafter.

But Fear will cause us to believe that what God promised us will be taken away by another or that we will miss our door of opportunity. And truthfully, when this happens it makes me want to regress and stop sharing what God places on my heart because I feel like I’m being taken advantage of and giving others free material that they turn around and charge for. Then I stop and think. It rains on the just and the unjust, and the sun shines on us all. 

Just think about how many people have the same career, carry the same title, run the same type of business, or live in the same model home, yet no two are exactly alike. We don’t even have the same fingerprints on our hands. They are unique in their design.

I then remember what Paul my mentor said to the churches. So I give myself a pep-talk.

Who cares if they copycat your information. (Although this may just be a figure of our imagination. Seeing how the enemy loves to hit us with feeling like we are victims and everyone is out to get us or take advantage of us) Take comfort in knowing that although they may dress like you they are not the same as you. They do not carry your anointing. They do not have your DNA in the message. You are the only copy of you. They may have a similar view as you, but not your flavor. Be confident like Paul that your vision will speak for itself and all will know He is with you.

This is what I focus on when the temptation arises to retreat; if someone is sharing the same thing as you, be it a concept, revelation, business, idea, or vision and it’s someone you respect, honor or value, this should excite you because it confirms and affirms you. As my pastor always said, “you are in the know”. You have inside information. So stay tuned in through prayer, worship, and the word, and be confident and thankful in the fact that you are on the right track.

So with that being said, I’m so #happy and #grateful that I am an original. I’m authentically and uniquely made, and unlike any other. I cannot be duplicated nor can anyone steal what God has ordained for me. What’s for me is for me! There is a place that only I can fill. I will not fear nor drawback but I will be strong, and very courageous so that I may possess my inheritance.

What are you #thankful for? Comment below.

Thankful Journey Day 2

While I was writing on the topic of toxic emotions affecting our atmosphere, I was reminded of my orchid that’s sitting on my desk which I received as a thank you gift from a client a little over a year ago. I do not have a green thumb at all! Every plant I’ve ever had died. Cause of death: the wrong thumb. 🤣🤣

I left the orchid on my desk for months with no sign of life. I procrastinated on throwing the plant away based on two swaying thoughts.

• One, I was being lazy.
• Two, deep down I thought maybe, just maybe it would grow again.

Weeks went by and to my surprise, a client who was at my desk commented on how beautiful my orchid looked. Now if you know what an orchid looks like you would know that my orchid was far from beautiful. This is a picture of a beautiful orchid.

But this is what my orchid looked like…

Hmm… Now you tell me, does this look beautiful? I wondered what her definition of beautiful was? I asked her if she was sure. She replied, “Just look at the green leaves, they are strong”. She also pointed to the little tiny bumps on the shoot of the plant that resembled pimples on a persons’ face and said, “they are buds getting ready to bloom”. But I’m still not a believer at this point. I did not see what she was seeing. It just didn’t make sense. This is what I saw…

A lifeless dried up plant that was dead and on it’s way to the dump. I didn’t pay much attention to it, but I admit I did water it after my encounter with the informative client, aka home botanist. Something interesting happened the following week. I looked closely at the orchid and saw what you see below. Pregnant buds getting ready to pop open. I got really excited. It was definitely a conversation piece for most clients.

As I starred at the plant I heard another lesson. “This orchid is growing at the same pace as you. From the moment you made up in your heart to not operate in negativity and rid your aura of toxicity you began to create an atmosphere where things can grow”.

The scripture says we prosper and are in good health to the degree that our soul prospers. Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. I did not realize that my thoughts and my emotions were affecting my space which stifled my growth. Have you ever heard someone say you have a strong aura? What they’re basically saying is your atmosphere is tangible enough to reach others. When I realized my shift was allowing my plant to grow, something I never knew I could do, faith arose within me.

God was using this plant as a teaching moment again. I just love when he does that. Although to others we look lifeless and useless. To God, we look absolutely beautiful as the lady mentioned. He sees our potential and sees our future and Hope’s we see ourselves as he does. It kind of reminds me of when the prophet Jeremiah had a conversation with God in regards to his purpose. God revealed a vision of a tree to Jeremiah and asked him, “what do you see?” Apparently, Jeremiah replied correctly because God told him he had the right answer and confirmed that because he saw as God did, God was now ready to perform every promise given to Jeremiah. Every word was about to come true.

We might not always see ourselves as God sees us. But when we know that he loves us it’s easier to trust Him in the process. When we align ourselves with him and his will we then allow his promises to flow to us.

When we seek, we will find. When we ask, we will receive, and when we knock the door will open. But this is the thing. Those orchid roots were searching and getting out of their comfort zone to do so. The roots weren’t getting what it needed so it began to stretch out and find it elsewhere. The plant was even outgrowing the pot it was in. The orchids roots had outgrown the pot. It’s time for us to get out of the old pot that was holding us back from exponential growth and get replanted into a larger one. It’s time for God to enlarge our territory. But if you’re not ASK-ing (Ask, Seek, Knock), you won’t receive.

I also learned that orchids hibernate during the fall season. Coming into the month of April, my orchid was getting ready to be featured. We like the orchid are about to be showcased. If this does not excite you I don’t know what will! Did you hear me? You are getting ready to be featured! A star is born and it’s your movie premiere. Go ahead and get your best outfit and get ready to walk the red carpet. It’s our time, it is truly our season!

I’m so #happy and #grateful that it’s my season to be featured!

What are you #thankful for?

What are you #Thankful for?

I’m starting a grateful journey, to find something or things to be thankful for. So…Today was a challenging resolution day and I feel drained!!! Jesus… 😣😩 I mean, I was putting out fires all day and I ran out of water…figuratively speaking.

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My son asks me “how was your day?” I say, “it was exhausting”. Then as I’m washing the dishes, I think, what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for being able to resolve without conflict. Sometimes you just gotta shut your mouth and smile. It takes too much energy to try and defend your actions. How many times do I have to say sorry???🙄 You have nothing to prove. Owe no one anything but to love them.

Everyone won’t always agree with your stance on certain matters and that’s okay. You just need to make sure you can stand behind your decisions. Have you ever had that moment where you rehearse an event that happened and try to figure ways you could have or should have handled it? Today was almost turning into that type of day until I shifted my thoughts on something good.

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

So, I’m thankful for self control today. OH, and I’m thankful for the fact that my honey came home safely from his trip. 🙌 #gratitude #tymovement #movement #momentum #ty #day1 #TuesdayThoughts