WHY AM I HERE?

You ever sit and wonder in those quiet moments, "Why am I here?" or "What is this all for?" I know I do. Sometimes in those moments of doubt, because I can't take a peek into my future, I begin to wonder what my life is going to add up to? Who will I affect? Can my dreams really happen?

So, I asked the Lord about creativity and where it all comes from. Of course, nothing exists without Him. But, the Lord is so cool that He gives each of us (including you) certain gifts. He GIVES them to us. He won't take them back. And we have the free will to choose if we use them or not.

Quick background check on me: I'm a former chemist who has recently decided to pursue the gifts that God gave me. I had chosen money over happiness. And that's what I got: money that couldn't buy happiness. And the worst part of it all, were the nagging questions: IS THIS IT? IS THIS ALL THERE IS? IS THIS WHY I WAS PUT ON THIS EARTH? I tried everything to find happiness in the 9 to 5 way of surviving. And that's not to say that some aren't called to work a 9 to 5 job. But, I was just surviving, day in and day out. No real joy. No real peace. Just surviving from day to day. I wasn't being creative. I wasn't using my gifts. I was miserable.


Then there are those of us who know what we've been put on this earth to do, yet we are too scared to do it. Once I started really hanging out with the Lord, He began to reveal to me who He created me to be. And, honestly, it scared me. Who am I to think that I could live out my dreams, that I am so gifted, that I could positively affect others? It's interesting that we want to be all of these things, yet we can't imagine that we ever could be.


BUT THAT'S WHAT GOD MADE US FOR! ALL OF US!


He made each of us to be our own unique and amazing self. Yes, there is room for us, all of us to be amazing people. And you, my friend, have amazingness all over you (yes, I made up a word). That voice that you hear telling you that you can do better, that you deserve more, that life has so much more to offer...that's God whispering to you and asking you to run into his outstretched arms. He wants nothing more than to show you your amazingness. He loves us. Your gifts are already inside of you, waiting to come out, waiting to change your life from the mundane to the extraordinary. All you need is the Lord to show you what you're made of.

So, if you're ever wondering what it's all for, why you're here, or if you're too scared to pursue it, you're not alone. Don't seek the advice and opinions of others. Go straight to the source. Ask the Lord to reveal it to you. I promise the answer to those questions is way bigger than you ever imagined. And since all things are possible thru God, you better hold on tight! There is no doubt the Lord is in the restoring business!!!

The Road Less Traveled

Well, it's time to take the road less traveled. You know, so often these days, I've found myself wondering what it would be like to give everything to God. What would it truly be like to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?" What if we put absolutely everything else on our own little wish lists AFTER having a relationship with God? Well, the Bible tells us that "all these things shall be added unto you." So, then we'll have all the desires of our hearts. (Matthew 6:33). What if we followed the first and great commandment to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37)


MAYBE THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN MISSING...

Hmm, what if we actually gave up all that we wanted, all of our dreams and aspirations for a relationship with the Almighty? Sure, it sounds just awful. But, you ever wait forever for something that you've always wanted only to realize that once you got it, it really wasn't all that great? You ever find yourself just wanting to be in a relationship because you want someone else to be around? Somehow that must be evidence that you're cool, right? I mean, if someone thinks it, it must be true. Maybe you've settled for a job that pays the bills but fear has kept you from pursuing the things you've wanted most. Maybe nothing seems to be working out in your life, no matter how hard you try, because God isn't in it.

I'VE BEEN THERE...

My big dreams were of sheer rockstardom. I mean, we're talking sparkly outfits, long perfect hair, that fan that Beyonce always seems to have on when she's onstage that blows back her hair (go ahead and laugh), tons of screaming fans, traveling, and a husband that loved me even when my hair was all over my head and I sang out of key.
But, for some reason, the more I would strive after these things, the further away they got. I didn't have the discipline to practice. I was afraid to really put myself out there (not good for musicians, especially). And if a good man came along, I treated him like crap.


TIME TO GO TO THE SOURCE...

So, now it's time to find out what God created me to do. It's time to not only find out what those things are, but find out who He is. It's time to not only believe Him (faith), but take action on His word as He guides me (works). So, I'm going to chill with the Savior, give it all up to Him and enjoy the outcome. Because if there is anything I know, I know I CANNOT do this on my own. And I know He knows what is best for me.

Don't get me wrong. I still want the sparkly dress and the cool Beyonce fan and the amazing husband. But, if God ain't in it, I don't want it.Maybe it's just time for me to learn what love is, design that sparkly dress, write those amazing songs, practice my guitar, and grow some more hair for that Beyonce fan to blow around....hahaha. Seriously, though, God has bigger plans for us than we could ever imagine. I'M THINKING IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED.

Leaning on the Tree

I was jogging past this field the other day and it really just struck me how much it seemed like a total oxymoron. The entire field is brown and littered with trash. And there's a highway running right behind it (if you look closely, you can see some nice, shiny cars speeding past). The field looks totally barren at this point, except for some beautiful patches of green grass just to the right of a wonderful, majestic tree.


Sometimes, I think we're so busy in our day-to-day lives rushing here and there that we don't take the time to really enjoy the things around us. And sometimes, even when things look barren, there is good soil deep down in all of us that can bring forth green grass and beautiful trees. Yep, there may be trash in your field. Someone else might have put it there, or maybe you put it there yourself (ugh). But, even underneath all of that, there's STILL good soil.


So, I'm going to take some time today and focus on the good soil that God has put deep down inside of me. Oh how it would warm His heart to grow something in my field that would glorify Him. And the more stuff we grow in His name, the less room we have for any trash that tries to litter our field.

A Rainy Day

For some reason, I've been really into this whole weather thing lately....


How cool is it that the rain that falls from the heavens in the Spring gets to help make so many beautiful things: Purple tulips, green grass, bright yellow daffodils, red roses. None of that would happen without the rain.


Reminds me of God raining his Spirit down into us, if we let Him. We're all these cracked and broken vessels. But, if we allow the Lord to pour His Spirit into us, it's amazing how He can restore and clean up absolutely anything and everything. And the awesome part is, He turns us into something absolutely beautiful.


Every one of us is a unique vessel. And when we allow the Spirit to flow through us, amazing and completely unique things are brought out of us. We become that unique red rose or that bright yellow daffodil. And there's no one else like us in the world. So, instead of comparing ourselves to each other, maybe we should just ask the Lord to rain down on us. Then, we can find out just how beautiful we all truly are (yes, that includes YOU).

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Tim 2:21


Happy Rainy Day!

A New Season

Aaaah, Spring has sprung! I absolutely LOVE warm weather. The tree outside my window has started to bud and even some bees are starting to hover around it. Anyone who knows me knows a sistah will take off in a full sprint when there are bees around. But, when I can watch them from my window, it's a beautiful sight.


The changes in seasons are so reflective of different stages in our lives. You know, in the winter, we're all bundled up, and scrambling to get inside where it's safe and warm. Reminds me of that season when we're saving up energy, maybe learning something new or training so that when it's time, we can be ready to put our new stuff to use. We're working on those pretty little buds for spring.

Then Spring comes and we've got our buds ready to bloom. It's time to shine! But, it still takes time and patience. Buds don't become leaves overnight. Grass doesn't grow overnight. And in the Midwest, there's a lot of thunderstorms that accompany those new Spring colors. But, if we keep going, we get all the water and sunshine we need to really test our new-found winter skills.


And by Summer, we're in full bloom! We're growing. The sun is shining. We've made it thru the stormy weather (great song, by the way) and we're fulfilling that God-given purpose in our lives. What a beautiful thing!


Then Fall comes and it's time to reap the harvest of all of the hard work. Things begin to slow down. Leaves begin to fall, but not without showing their most beautiful colors. We start to wind down for Winter and the renewal process begins again. I love it! It seems so perfect in every way.


BUT, sometimes I've been out of season. You ever try to grow something without planting a seed? Or try to reap the harvest of something that you never watered? Or maybe you plucked something before it was in full bloom because you ran out of patience. How frustrating! We're always so excited to get to the Spring and Summers in our lives. But, when we do, we get frustrated because we wasted our Winter just wanting it to be over.


Well, I've been there and done that more times than I can count. And for once, it's time to start budding. How awful Spring would be with all the rain and nothing to show for it. How terrible it would be if the trees just decided not to grow any leaves because they were still upset about how cold the winter was. It's time we let our lights shine! You know that cool idea that you've always had, but never done anything about? Yep, we all have 'em. Well, it's time to let that little idea grow. It's time to water that seed. Yes, it will take patience. And it will take work. But, I promise it will be worth it.


SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!

TV Fast Day One

Hey there! Well today was actually a really awesome day. It actually didn't start out so great. You know those mornings when you wake up and you feel like everything around you just isn't at all what you wanted? Or all you can hear yourself say in your head over and over again is, "This sucks!" Well, unfortunately, that's how I started this morning. At first I just wanted to sit in my misery and continue crying. But, you know what? Sitting in misery doesn't change things. So I got down on my knees and prayed and asked the Lord to reveal to me what was really wrong. Why was I so doubtful?


AND LO AND BEHOLD!!!


I was filled with doubt because I had started to sink into that awful pit of believing the people around me and not believing God. You know when you dream something big, something so big that God has to be in it for it to ever work out? A lot of times we think it, then we get excited about it, and then we tell other people, and then they talk us out of it. Or, they try to pretend they're excited about it, but you can tell they're really not. And what do we do? We agree with them? WHY?! How can a single person on this earth tell us who we are and what we were created to be?


IMAGINE IF WE ALL LIVED THE LIVES WE SPEND TIME DAYDREAMING ABOUT?


What if we spent time with God, and spent time studying and working on the dreams that God has instilled in us? What if instead of complaining about our lives and our jobs, we asked God why we're here and what we should be doing? What if we cast down all that negativity that we get from other people and from TV and pursued those big dreams? What if we believers didn't just sit around and wait on the Lord to do everything for us? What would happen?



2 Timothy 2:15 says: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."


I always notice that this scripture says we are to show ourselves approved unto God, not men. A workman, not someone who is sitting around doing nothing but waiting on blessings to show up at the door or complaining about what their life could have been like. And last but not least, RIGHTLY dividing the word of truth. To me, this means that you're able to discern the truth from lies. And why do you get discernment? Because you're studying to show yourself approved unto God, NOT MEN/WOMEN.


I have always been so deeply involved in what other people think that I have had no idea what I think or what God thinks. Instead, I've just been pushed and pulled by other people's opinions, what is the popular opinion at the time, and whoever it is that makes me feel like I'm important. But, we are fearfully and wonderfully made my God, not by man. Even evolutionists will admit that man didn't make himself. So, why does man's opinion matter so much? It just doesn't make sense. So here's the idea I had:


WHY NOT GO TO THE CREATOR AND ASK HIM WHY WE'RE HERE? THEN, WHEN HE ANSWERS, TAKE IT AS THE FINAL SAY AND GO AFTER IT?!


He is the only one that knows. And that is the only way you're going to find out. And when you find out, DON'T LET ANYONE TALK YOU OUT OF IT, INCLUDING YOURSELF!


You're not too old. It's not too late. You're not too fat. You're not too short. You're not too tall. You're not ugly. You're not too broke. You're not!


NOTHING CAN GET IN YOUR WAY WHEN YOU HAVE GOD LEADING YOU. NOTHING! Only YOU allow things to stop you. Seriously. You only get stopped by things if you LET yourself be stopped by them. YOU PLUS GOD is a majority, my friend. You don't need anyone else to agree with you.


So, today, take a moment to awaken that big dream inside of you. Ask the Lord why you're here. And when your heart begins to beat fast with the excitement of what you could be doing, you know you've hit the nail on the head.


Today, I decided to remove one negative thing from my day and add something positive. So, I didn't watch TV at all today (that's a big negative and a time-waster) and I practiced until I had worn myself out. It felt great to just trust God and believe that He's brought me too far to leave me.


SO WHAT'S YOUR BIG DREAM? TAKE ONE STEP TODAY TO GET CLOSER TO IT. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU BETTA ASK SOMEBODY! THE ONE THAT CREATED YOU IS THE ONLY ONE WHO TRULY KNOWS. AND HE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.

And if you do know, what step will you take today to get just a little bit closer?


TODAY, TAKE JUST ONE STEP OUT ON FAITH! I PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Much love!!!

Introduction

Hello there! Thank you so much for checking this out.

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD SOMEONE CREATE A BLOG?

Well, I'm sure there are tons of reasons why people write these things, but I can definitely shed some light on why I'm starting one. The Lord has laid it on my heart that it's time to put some of who He is back into the world. All over the internet you can easily find people complaining, worrying, living in fear, bragging about their possessions, degrading women, and striving after the almighty dollar. But, you'd be hard-pressed to find much light in all that darkness. So, that's why I'm writing this blog.

A SISTAH NEEDS TO SHED SOME LIGHT!

People are looking for encouragement when it seems as if things in the world are getting worse. Some people are looking to money to save them at a time when money is becoming more and more scarce. Some people are looking to substances for comfort from their increasing worry. Women, especially, are looking to relationships to solve their problems. And, if none of that works, people are just settling into awful 9 to 5 jobs that they never wanted. And they convince themselves that this is as good as it's going to get.

THAT'S NOT TRUE! DON'T BELIEVE THAT LIE!

You were made for so much more. And, yes, you were made by God. I'm even going to use the 'J' word. You ready? JESUS did not die on the cross for you to wake up everyday wishing you were on vacation, regretting past decisions and finding distractions to 'check-out' from the pit you seem to have found yourself in. At some point, we become convinced that if we have the right job, the right house, the right car, the right partner, the right amount of money, we will be happy. That's simply not true. When was the last time you received something and you were truly, completely peaceful and satisfied? Here's the problem:

NOTHING BUT GOD CAN FILL THAT SPACE IN YOUR HEART THAT IS RESERVED FOR HIM. NOTHING!

How do I know? I graduated from college with a science degree that I thought would guarantee happiness. I had the high paying corporate job. But, I hated Sunday nights because I knew the work week began again the next day. I lived for the weekends. I was that chick that was always thanking God it was Friday. I've been there. I know what it's like to HAVE to be in a relationship in order to feel worth something. I know what it's like to need validation from others in order to TRY to convince yourself that you're smart, or pretty, or a good worker, or that you just have some sort of value in this world. And I know what it's like to dream big, but settle for small because you're too dang scared to step out on faith.

AHA! WHAT AN AWESOME SEGUE!!!

So, now it's time to step out on faith. I've played small. Now, it's time to put the jersey on and get in the game. Now it's time to trust God and see where He leads me. 'Cause I've been down the other road and I was miserable. I can HONESTLY say that the last 2 years since I gave my life to Christ have been the best I've ever experienced. Definitely not easy, but sooooo worth it. I know more about who He is, and who He made me to be. I have so much more peace and joy. Believe me, a sistah is far from perfect. But, you don't know like I know what He's done for me! And maybe, just maybe, this blog will awaken something in you that you thought was long gone. Maybe you'll step out on your own faith in God and experience all the things He wants for you.

THAT IS WHY I'M WRITING THIS BLOG.

It would be selfish not to share the amazing experiences and wisdom and knowledge that I have been so blessed to receive from the Lord. I hope that you will listen to Him and find out why you're here and who He is. So, I invite you to come and take this journey with me as I, with the Lord at my side, look fear in the face and finally...


STEP OUT ON FAITH!!!!