Prayer, Pennies, Peanut Butter

Philippians 4:12, "I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."

We live in a society where people feel they are entitled to have the "best" of everything without having to suffer anything. Those who have the most usually are those who have lived off the least. Along our journey, we have to embrace our life lessons and find the blessing in each lesson we encounter. Paul stated in Philippians 4:12 that he knew both how to be abased and how to abound in every situation and circumstance he had to endure. Being abased comes through a process where God humbles us to the core to show us WHO we are and WHOSE we are. We should appreciate the times where we only have prayer, pennies and peanut butter to live on. These are teaching times and we can and will make it once we realize that God-not man is the source of our strength. No matter how far you go in life, always remember the 3 P's (Prayer, Pennies, and Peanut Butter)

Prayer is essential in every season of your life, even Jesus had to pray to make Satan flee and He teaches us that we have to pray without ceasing. You can never have enough prayer for your spiritual intake.

Pennies-We can't abound until we have been abased. Always count your pennies and respect the value of a dollar. Money isn't easy to come by nor is it hard to spend. Find a good balance and spend wisely.

Peanut Butter-Peanut butter represents the staple of our households. Focus on the basic necessities in this season of your life. You may not have everything you want, but God will ensure you have everything you need. Peanut butter and jelly ain't never killed nobody:)

Spring (Spiritual) Cleaning

It's Spring Cleaning Time!!! We often associate spring cleaning with tidying up and removing items that we don't need nor desire to carry into the next season of our lives. I encourage you to do a thorough SPIRITUAL CLEANSING in this season of your life. Take inventory of relationships, friendships, careers, family members, and circumstances that you encounter on a daily basis and determine are they needs or wants and if their time of access has run its course. Label each person in your life according to the position  and purpose they serve and name them honestly.  Genesis 2:20 says, "So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him." Every person that you have allowed to have access into your life should serve a purpose and position. Who are the cattle, birds, and the beasts in your life? 
(Cattle) friends don't require much from you, they give of themselves freely, easy to maintain relationship with and they are willing to go to the chopping block with or for you. 
(Bird) friends are meek and humble people who don't mind being in the background of your success. They are willing to help you build privately and they are preservers.
(Beast) friends are all about themselves and what you can do to further their agenda. They take from you and are busy bodies who seek to feast off of your work and worth.


As you go forth in your spiritual cleansing, don't take short cuts and do it from a professional-not personal perspective. Good luck to you and remember the secret ingredient to ensuring that you don't miss any spots is prayer-it works every time!!!  

"How Are You....Really???"

We often go through our seasons and days without analyzing our physical and well-being. When people ask us how we are doing, some say "Blessed and Highly Favored," others say "I'm good and you"-if the truth were told, we often don't feel blessed nor highly favored nor are "we good." Not only are we at fault, those who ask are as well because they naturally assume that we are going to say all is well. What do you say when things aren't good and you don't feel well....meditate on this notion and see what you come up with:) We have to always be prepared to have a word for the words of others. As Sons and Daughters of the King, we have a spiritual obligation to encourage ourselves and others in the Lord. We should always have a word hidden in our hearts for those we may encounter. The reality is, we are all going through one thing or another and stability is a non-renewable resource for most, however we have to stay focused, keep moving, and encouraging ourselves in the Lord. God didn't promise us that things would always come together, but He did assure us that all things will work together (Romans 8:28). Whatever situation or circumstance you may find yourself in or leaving, know that the impossible is possible and God will test you to show you how He uses impossible situations to prove to us that He is a possible God! The next time someone asks you how you are, feel and deal with your emotions and be honest:) You can't go forth until you feel and deal with your inner being:) Be blessed and encouraged!!

"Are You Celebrated Or Tolerated......."

May is my favorite month of the entire year and (yes it's because it's my birthday month) and also we have the opportunity  to celebrate milestones, new blessings, graduations, and Mother's Day. May is month 5 and 5 is the spiritual number that represents grace and mercy. No matter where we are in our current lives, we all need some grace and mercy to carry us through the good and the bad times! As we go and grow forth in May, let us reflect on the dreams we have placed in the very back of our hearts and on the plans that God has for our lives. Always remember, God's plans are planned. We often attend other folks' celebrations in May and honor those who have cultivated us, but I encourage those who encourage others to walk by faith and not by fright! Pray and seek God for understanding on the steps He desires for you to take in this new season of your life. As you lean not on your own understanding, pay attention to the things that God is bringing to your attention to give you an understanding. Are you celebrated or simply tolerated by those in your circle, family, relationships, marriages, etc...If people can't appreciate your worth and the work that God is doing in you and through you, it's time to re-examine. Rejuvenation ain't never hurt anyone nor has growth. It's about time for you to start celebrating yourself and those around you to do the same. We know people by the fruits they bare, check the insides of folks and watch closely as they unravel.  Going forth requires that you peel back levels and devils who don't have your best interests. Don't be afraid to walk forth into your purpose and as people fall back, you continue to go forth. Don't stay anywhere that you are only tolerated and not celebrated. Be blessed and encouraged!

"Get Me a Plate To Go, Please"

John 6:12, "So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."

There will be seasons of lack we all will have to encounter and how we position ourselves is directly tied to the success of our obedience. Obedience is truly better than sacrifice. Jesus had just finished feeding the 5,000 men who were accounted for, however the women and children were not calculated. We often are quick to leave a venue when we feel we aren't noticed or when we feel we should have been on the VIP list. We have to be ever so careful of focusing on being counted in by man and less concerned about being counted out by God. Ask God to show you the season you are currently in through His eyes and not your own. We are to walk by faith and not by what our enemies want us to see. Even those who walk with the Lord may question the hand you have been dealt with as they did Jesus, but know that God is always willing to make the most of  the hand He has dealt you! To man, they only could see 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, however God saw an opportunity to provide His children with the overflow of His blessings! Don't be quick to leave the scene without receiving the overflow of what God has for you-stay and wait patiently for your to-go plate! When God blesses you, it's His desire to allow your cup to not just be filled, but to run completely over! God wants you SATISFIED-not FULL. Waiting on overflow may seem BENEATH you, but I assure you nothing is ABOVE God!

"Don't Even Go There!!!"

John 8:14-15, "Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My Witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one."


No matter how we try to convey our circumstances, past, and blessings from God to others, they will never truly understand where you have came from, but more importantly the place God is taking you. Your story is your intimate relationship and encounters with God and we can't expect those around us nor in our families and inner circles to fully understand nor appreciate the magnitude of our pains, struggles, and triumphs. Jesus told the crowd that even if He were to tell them of how He became who He was and how God was using Him, they would take issue with Him and find fault because they were judging Him according to their flesh instead of in the spirit. Jesus made it clear to them that in spite of how they may perceived Him and the task and journey God called Him to do, He wasn't going to come down to their level nor would He judge them for being ignorant. Understand that we have to appreciate our testimonies and journey in spite of others having to say something about it and not appreciating the work God is doing in us and through us.  Most who bring up your past, don't have a clear understanding of where they should be presently. Make no apologies for your growth and know that no matter how you try to make people "get you"-they won't. That's why we have to always be ever so so careful of growing in the Lord and maintaining our relationship with Him and not Them. God is the author and finisher of your faith, meaning He "gets you" because He "created you." He already knows your story and what you will have to endure. Maintain an attitude of gratitude with Him and by doing so the concern you have for others understanding you will weaken because your mind will become strengthened in peace out of your efforts to keep your focus steadfast on God.
  

"Common Sense ain't Common"

Job 28:12, "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?"

We often go about our daily lives trying to figure out why people don't use common sense and we attempt to get an understanding of how they come up with the foolishness they present to us. Wisdom is a gift from God, however understanding is given freely to those who are willing to seek it. The Bible tells us in all things to get an understanding. Lack of understanding causes a heap of drama that can easily be avoided by us being persistent in seeking God's Counsel. We often focus on the Gossip of others instead of focusing on the Gospel of Christ. Wisdom and understanding are weapons of mass destruction for those who attain them. God is pleased when we ask Him for things we NEED instead of what we WANT. God moves swiftly when we seek Him concerning gifts that will enlarge His Kingdom and our Territory. Also, God gives His wisdom freely. You can study any person in the Bible who asked God for wisdom and the pattern you will soon discover is that He granted them wisdom instantly. King Solomon could have asked for anything when He received the favor of God over his life, but out of wisdom Solomon knew he would need something to carry Him in the long-term. Wisdom will sustain the favor of God in your life. Because Solomon sought God for wisdom and knowledge, there was never a man before him nor after him as wise as he was nor wealthy. If you ever want to know how a successful person remains so, I assure you that wisdom was their compass. Always remember,wisdom is the answer key to understanding. Be blessed and encouraged!