Next Best Step

The other day I walked Stone Mountain's 5 mile lap in the rain instead of running.  That means I carried an umbrella around the entire time. By the I was done, so was the rain.  While carrying the umbrella I noticed I had to tilt it down in front of me which meant I could only see my "best next step" rather than several feet ahead.  Isn't that just like God? I saw the revelation in that sometimes I can get so focused on what I want to accomplish that I miss the joy of my next best step.  I encourage you to experience the joy in your next best step.  Yes, there will be times when you should create a more far reaching plan, however what would happen if you lived in the moment instead of the plans knowing God is in charge? Create a great day for yourself moment by moment.

Never Feels You Cannot Fall

While this is written from the physical perspective, see what insight you glean otherwise...

Today at half-time during my daughter's basketball game, I thought I could run out to my car to get my charger for my phone so that I could capture the 2nd half of my daughter's basketball game as I had done the first half. To my surprise, I ran so fast so I could get to the car, get back inside to use the restroom and plug my phone up while they were in half-time. Unbeknownst unto me, I fell head first on my way to the parking lot over a rail that I didn't see. I have not fallen in so long that I felt that I couldn't fall at least not in this capacity because I am an experienced runner and tall enough to leap over a rail; no need to tumble over it head first. Thankful I didn't break anything, even though my forehead is scraped up and my right leg (quad area) is VERY sore. I am thankful for the support that one of the basketball players from our summer AAU team was able to get for me (she was in the right place at the right time). On one hand, I didn't want to receive the help. On another hand, I felt I wasn't that bad off and their sincere encouragement to help was at first met with rebellion, though not visible. I felt a humbling nudge to listen and let the onsite trainer check me out. I didn't realize it until I was driving home telling my daughter about the experience that the Trainer was talking to me and requiring me to answer him to make sure that I was really okay. In the end, I truly appreciate the care and support that I received from some sisters and brothers that I never knew would impact my life like this on the last day of the tournament. So, tonight I finally slowed down and took that hot bath that I have been wanting to take for almost 6 months. The refreshing I feel is both internally and externally. You will be amazed at who God will bring into your space when you are not bent on crafting the response to your own situation yourself. Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your insight.

An "aha": I was in a hurry to no where to get something that didn't matter. In what other areas am I allowing myself to function like this? Its time to take my life back. Then how about this...she didn't even get to play the 2nd half for reasons we may never know.

A Work In Progress (The Research Paper)

I am working on a research paper with 4 other people around the subject of "Competitive Analysis" relevant to a non-profit organization(s).  While all the other topics outlined I would've easily conquered, this one I feel at a loss because I have been unsuccessful in retaining scholarly info.  I struggled with whether to disclose this to my group.  It was in preparing that discussion board post that I had to acknowledge my shortcoming and seek advise.  Then, let them know my plans of visiting The Foundation Center tomorrow.  To ask for help takes humility.  I realize that my struggle was with "pride" not with telling them anything.  So, tonight I choose to pray for myself.  I'm thankful that God would show me how subtle pride can slip in. I pray that God is being ever-present in your life as He is being in mine.  If not, just be honest, repent and ask Him to return.  Peace out!

A Work In Progress (The Research Paper)

I am working on a research paper with 4 other people around the subject of "Competitive Analysis" relevant to a non-profit organization(s).  While all the other topics outlined I would've easily conquered, this one I feel at a loss because I have been unsuccessful in retaining scholarly info.  I struggled with whether to disclose this to my group.  It was in preparing that discussion board post that I had to acknowledge my shortcoming and seek advise.  Then, let them know my plans of visiting The Foundation Center tomorrow.  To ask for help takes humility.  I realize that my struggle was with "pride" not with telling them anything.  So, tonight I choose to pray for myself.  I'm thankful that God would show me how subtle pride can slip in. I pray that God is being ever-present in your life as He is being in mine.  If not, just be honest, repent and ask Him to return.  Peace out!

Hit the Ball!

I saw the most priceless thing today...a daddy teaching his baby girl how to bat (hit the ball).  He was critiquing her form, telling her how to stand.  All she wanted to do was to hit the ball. He continued to pitch and she continued to swing.  She was hitting the ball and one from afar knew she felt good.  Daddy ran to get the balls while having her stay in the form that brought her success. Tears well up in my eyes when I could hear within myself, "this is what I do for you".  God positions me to hit the ball.  He teaches me the form I am to maintain and the stance I am to take and expects me to continue to swing and swing and swing and swing and hit the ball over and over again until He says enough for today, or better yet this life and calls me onward in Him.  Be encouraged, "its" all for a purpose.

Beautiful Things All Around

I recently moved (no, for real, this is literally). I am so amazed with the beautiful things that I keep noticing. Your company along this journey has been encouraging.

The Word is "Sanction"...

The Word is “Sanction”…

Tonight, only God knows how bad I wanted to go to midweek service…and then came this germ and sat down beside her… Sickness caused me to have to be satisfied with just hearing Pastor Jill on the website of a previous message that I had asked for but was told there weren’t any more CDs. The person even telling me that I didn’t need the message because I didn’t do the things that Pastor Jill talked about. Once more challenging the individual about the CD anyway, she said she would let me know when they got some more. God obviously wanted me to hear the very message that the young lady told me I didn’t need to because He caused the church to post an email with all of the video links. So while sick and growing sicker I listened. The word that continued to resound within me is “SANCTION”. Even wanting to just go to sleep now, but not wanting to be in disobedience…I sit here typing for His namesake for my own good.

Truthfully, most of what Pastor Jill referred to didn’t have anything to do with me, but God knows my number. As she spoke, I could perceive other things that never parted her mouth literally, yet I bear witness in my spirit and acknowledged before God that were “OFF”. Sin means to “miss the mark”. I could hear the rumblings in the crowd of others that her examples didn’t apply to but as one seeking after GOD’s own heart, “I heard Him say, “Have I sanctioned that?” and “Have I sanctioned this?” Seemingly showing me my actions and decisions in the natural and what it looks like in the spirit at the same time. Perhaps, He allowed me to be slowed down to this place of sickness so I could really hear the message and not go away sad because I didn’t hear Him. Then this sickness was worth it! So, now while making moves in business and in personal matters naturally looks like He has sanctioned the matters, however through this message Holy Spirit brought conviction which caused me to slow down, check-in and put all this stuff before GOD, not just before myself and other dear ones who hold me accountable. I enjoy living under the shadow of God’s wing and His protection. He has proven He is faithful, even when I didn’t return the same. So, I encourage you tonight, to not just listen to the word and deceive yourselves rather to listen and let God search your heart, motives and intents. He is bound to reveal something to you by His Spirit even in the midst of examples not even applying to you. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. He knows your number and your name is not a surprise to Him. His goal for us is holiness not to harm us and to give us His peace. Reaching for things that I’m scared to touch without His anointing for me to do it…I choose to make this a practice…to slow down to be certain that He has sanctioned the matters before I spend my energy and grace doing anything more that causes me useless toil. He said, “When He blesses there is no sorrow added to it.”

Sanction means “authoritative permission or approval, as for an action. 2. something that serves to support an action, condition, etc.; 3. something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc.

It's time to check-in...

I Pray God Never Ceases to Amaze Me! (& You...if that's ur desire too)

Its been a while since I have stopped to blog! I am so thankful! Today, my Babe and I finished foster care training. To be honest, it felt like something I was doing because it was part of the process necessary for me to help someone in need, but that I wasn't going to get anything "really" out of. Boy, was I WRONG! We had the best 2 instructors and the Holy Spirit's presence in the room. I feel I grew as a mother, aunt, and friend to children by attending the class. As a result of these classes, we haven't been at church or at our children's basketball games; its been anything but "normal". Nonetheless, God provided. He has had us in a season of having to ask for help. This felt very uncomfortable for me at because I don't like ask for help...why not? I know it now as "pride". This experience humbled me in ways that I didn't even know I was prideful in. The support that God gave us through people on our children's teams was even more humbling. I mean making sure they got to practice and home, to tournaments and back, as far out as Marietta (45 mins from my house) and Sandy Springs (30 mins from my house) on different days and different times; making sure they had whatever they needed. It brings tears to my eyes realizing that God has shown His love for us in this was causes me to give Him the glory! And to be able to speak life to my child via texting when she felt she didn't do well and she 'get it' and switch up to help her team win! All I know is I'm glad God's my Daddy. (I feel I could write a book right now---really, but I wont) One more thing, before getting to class today I had a conversation about locating my father & his side of my family (I don't know them. All I know is that I have 13 siblings and last counted were 36 nieces & nephews.) The last person to speak in my class was the Region Registry staff...they help adopted children find their biological families and vice versa. I don't expect them to do the search for me as I wasn't adopted and nor am I from GA, but now that we are licensed foster parents, I have resources available to help me go about this in the proper, deliberate way prayerfully resulting in favorable outcome. I pray it is favorable, nonetheless, I don't have ignorance to hide behind anymore.

School is back in session! I'm taking Life Coaching and Classroom Management. I truly felt compelled to do the Life Coaching class, not sure why, but I'm glad that I was obedient. Then I'm learning from both the secular and Christian perspective. It seems I have been flowing in an area that I didn't know there was nor did I have a name for. It feels like a gift is being unwrapped right before my eyes. I'm just going to continue forth and see what the end is going to be. I've even gone ahead and registered for summer classes. Last summer I took the break instead of working through it and paid royally for it.

Lastly, I've been applying for jobs and business opportunities and watching God increase my Real Estate and Hair Clients daily. Amazed with people calling me for interviews for jobs I didn't apply for, but willing to see what the end will be...

How are you living? Are you growing in the Lord? Are you taking time to get to know Him just a fraction of as much as He continues to know you? If not, I encourage you to start now, you don't need your Bible with you to read it...check out www.Bible.com. All I'm saying is we know how to give priority to whatever we want to give priority to. Think of the last time you wanted to buy some shoes, or clothes or something to eat...you know what diligence is...just re-direct it to love Him more. The Israelites would cry out to God when they were in trouble, but once God delivered them it was business as usual (i.e., serving other gods (the things they had made). Thanks for reading...LB

It's Wild....

So, what is amazing is the things that Shontice (11th grade) is learning in Science about electricity, Benjamin is too (even during the same time)! She's able to look at his paper and tell him where his answers are off and he can challenge her on the topic also. Benjamin is in the 5th grade! I see how the school systems are challenged to get our younger children ahead so that they will be more advanced in coming years/decades to be able to compete with our international counterparts on a global educational scale. Look around...have you noticed the pace of things increasing without little to no resistance?

He Knows - IBC Indiana Bible College

What Is It Going to Take for U to Stand??... I Expect U to Thrive

So, talking to one of my plants that have been with me the longest...1993 or 1994 to be exact. I said, "What is it going to take for you to stand?" As I walked away it almost seemed like an epiphany or spiritual experience but I kept moving. While thinking I needed a longer pot to put her in, I went back over to her and used the stakes that was already in her pot to help her to stand. It just required a little repositioning. I took out another dead stalk. As I went to the other plants to water and take off the dead leaves, I handled one of my medium mature plants to tough and one of her strong stalks broke off. I heard in my spirit to put it in the oldest plant's pot. I would not normally do this. I usually would put it directly into water to wait to see roots, but I have never had to do anything like this with this plant. So, I've now made the older plants stalks stand, put new greenery in her pot, even one that had gained some roots in water and then one of her newer stalks broke off, I put her in the water that I had taken the other rooted plant from that's been added to her pot. When I was done, I looked at the oldest plant and said, "Now, I expect you to thrive."

It occurred to me that this is, many times, what happens in churches. They automatically expect their oldest and older parishioners to thrive just because they have been their the longest. While all the while, they are the ones that need the most tender loving care. They need to be refreshed and repositioned with new greenery put in their pots. They then begin to stand stronger and taller than they have ever been. So, my question to you today, what kind of plant are you? What I failed to say...when I began caring for the oldest plant,(i.e., watering and stuff), it seemed the other plants were saying, "We knew if we got her to care for her, we would all get refreshing!" And they were right, they all got watered & trimmed of any dead leaves...I will go by to check the moisture of their dirt to make sure I didn't forget not even one. As you can see, this is really not about "plants" at all, its really about love, it just so happens God gave it to me while caring for my plants.

WOW! God is Awesome! (Amazing Biology)

I am so excited about having completed the past 21 days! In that I rejoice, because I know that God has come through for me in ways that money could not pay for. To this, I glorify God for loving me so much for His "Namesake"!

Then, I'm back in school. I decided to put my fear of science behind me and go ahead and complete Biology 101. EVERYTHING being guided by the Holy Spirit. So, I'm attending this class online so it requires a lot of reading, but what just occurred to me is just how magnificent GOD IS! Though I attained the courage to take the class, I had still be complaining inwardly about having to do the work. Well, after reading the text (in one of the most beautiful books God could have provided - colorful and all) and having a Professor that loves God more than anything else. I just accepted that this is part of the process of denying what I learned to complain about and DECIDE to ENJOY the experience! When I stop and consider what intricate detail God has put into my living and being here, I cannot help but praise Him! Did you know even our smiles, pains, heartbeats are all explainable in terms of electrons moving between molecules? I find that amazing! Even love, faith and even arguments have meaning. You know I had to talk to my Heavenly Father after that reading. Consider for yourself, just how important you are to God and that your living is NOT in vain. Ask God, how you should use your time and energy and believe that He is going to answer you. This year my perspective is being changed and for that I am thankful! Peace, be still!