Pastor once told me that whenever someone in the Bible was preparing for ministry, they were in a place of isolation: Jesus, John the Baptist, etc. While I have started to really feel like I'm at a point of isolation, God has also allowed some great people in my life. While I understand that everyone can't handle you where you are or where you're going, and everyone that comes into your life isn't sent from God, and we have to be discerning of the two, I have some pretty awesome people in my life but, there's a catch. Everyone lives at least a half hour away from me.
While isolation is necessary to understand self, reconnect with God, the Bible does say that it's not greatest to be alone. I think God has sent these people to hold me accountable, teach me new things and just really show me what a real friend is. I appreciate the honesty, originality and genuine care had for one another. I appreciate just having good clean fun and walking away like I had the time of my life! I never want to come back home because I have to leave them but I'm still in preparation mode. It's like, "You can have friends but I need you to remain focused." These people are such a blessing - a help to keep me from crawling into a shell ('cause they pull me out to diff events) but also a push to do what's right and to strive to become a better me in Him.
I could give a list of all the people I am referring to, and give a few words to their presence in my life but I'll just say: thank you all so much for being such loving, caring, friendly, genuine people. I love you all so much and appreciate each and every one of you in my life. You all encourage me to do better, to be better!
Much love!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Half Truths
Have you ever been presented with a concept that is completely different than how you've always known something to be, and regardless of the facts before you, you choose to ignore it? In fact, you won't even double check and research for yourself because you don't want to know anything different?
We do that often in our spiritual journeys. Our salvation is so precious but also quite manipulated. We are taught one thing, come into greater truth and have two choices: To accept the truth and change yourself to live to the standards of truth or to continue to stay where you are living a half truth because the truth is too complicated and difficult to wrap your mind around. I say this all the time, "'I didn't know' won't work at the gates. You have to know things for yourself, study for yourself because what momma, grandma, daddy or grandpa said won't get you into heaven."
Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Are you willing to hold on to tradition, comfort zones and fear at the cost of your eternal life?
Think about it...
We do that often in our spiritual journeys. Our salvation is so precious but also quite manipulated. We are taught one thing, come into greater truth and have two choices: To accept the truth and change yourself to live to the standards of truth or to continue to stay where you are living a half truth because the truth is too complicated and difficult to wrap your mind around. I say this all the time, "'I didn't know' won't work at the gates. You have to know things for yourself, study for yourself because what momma, grandma, daddy or grandpa said won't get you into heaven."
Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Are you willing to hold on to tradition, comfort zones and fear at the cost of your eternal life?
Think about it...
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Out of Body
Yesterday, before writing, I had to chuckle to myself because I always do things prophetically without knowing that I'm doing them until I go back latter and have an, OH MY moment. lol Or better yet, He's working through me to speak to me.
Let's take this blog for example. When I started it, I was still a babe in Christ, actually creating this blog to have a release and mini-venting space. This blog was not so much about God as it was to break away from what I felt was binding; hence the URL: boxbreaking. Though I had new friends, new concepts of life, people were still putting me in a box...making assumptions about who they thought I was. My Pastor said one Sunday, "I will never let someone put me in a box. I will dye my hair blue before I let someone put me in a box." That's how I began to feel...STOP PUTTING ME IN A BOX! The fact of the matter is, though, people can only box you in with what you give them which meant that I had to change...I had to break the box! So, in breaking the box, I'd be in a new dimension of life...something on another level - hence, the title of this blog.
So, I created a blog about breaking out of the box and experiencing life on a whole other level long before I became a minister...long before I agreed to be the director of a ministry...long before I decided to walk in my calling which is on a completely different level than where I was a year ago! I've broken many boxes and am still working on breaking others for the sake of the kingdom...as well as myself. So, yes, I laughed when I prepared to write yesterday because He/I did it again, spoke the future from the present. He gave me a hint into the direction of my life and I appreciate Him for these moments.
Welp, have a great day folks! Keep your eyes and ears open because He's speaking! :)
Let's take this blog for example. When I started it, I was still a babe in Christ, actually creating this blog to have a release and mini-venting space. This blog was not so much about God as it was to break away from what I felt was binding; hence the URL: boxbreaking. Though I had new friends, new concepts of life, people were still putting me in a box...making assumptions about who they thought I was. My Pastor said one Sunday, "I will never let someone put me in a box. I will dye my hair blue before I let someone put me in a box." That's how I began to feel...STOP PUTTING ME IN A BOX! The fact of the matter is, though, people can only box you in with what you give them which meant that I had to change...I had to break the box! So, in breaking the box, I'd be in a new dimension of life...something on another level - hence, the title of this blog.
So, I created a blog about breaking out of the box and experiencing life on a whole other level long before I became a minister...long before I agreed to be the director of a ministry...long before I decided to walk in my calling which is on a completely different level than where I was a year ago! I've broken many boxes and am still working on breaking others for the sake of the kingdom...as well as myself. So, yes, I laughed when I prepared to write yesterday because He/I did it again, spoke the future from the present. He gave me a hint into the direction of my life and I appreciate Him for these moments.
Welp, have a great day folks! Keep your eyes and ears open because He's speaking! :)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Alive
Travis Greene has a song called Alive that I absolutely love. Here are the lyrics:
Ah ah ah...
I'm alive in You
I'm alive in You
Oooooooooooh
I'm alive in You
In You I live and move and
Have my being
So I'm alive
I'm alive in You
(repeat)
Wake up to see the dawning
Of a brand new day
The sun is
Shining brighter than the day before
I'm in love with You so much more
And every time I seek Your face
I'm reminded of Your saving grace
In Your presence I stand amazed
And I'm in awe of Your Beauty and all of Your ways
I've nothing else to say
So here's the highest praise
Hallelujah!
I'm alive in You!
Hallelujah!
I'm alive in You! (repeat 5x)
I'm alive in You!
I'm alive in You!
I live to worship You, Lord!
I live to worship You, Lord!
I live to worship You, Lord!
I live, I live in You!
(repeat 3x)
Hallelujah!
I am alive in You!
Hallelujah!
I am alive!
Yes, I am alive!
OOOOOOOOOH
I am alive!
I'm alive in You!
The song is so beautiful and so pretty and while I loved it before this past weekend, I love it all the more now!
This weekend, in conjunction with May 29th, has been so monumental. On May 29th, I was ordained as a licensed minister! My family came down for the Ordination Ceremony at church and it was a great time of fellowship and elevation. So many things shifted in my life with that elevation and it's all for the better.
This past weekend, June 12th, was Pentecost Sunday. I didn't know there was such a day but, as Pastor began his message, I was informed rather quickly. Pentecost Sunday is all fine and dandy except for the fact that he was preaching from Acts where the Holy Ghost fell on the peoples and they all began to speak in other tongues. Why is that a problem? Because I had been wanting to have such manifestation in my life for years and all of the different services where people would say, "The Holy Spirit is in this room! Pray in your heavenly language. If you haven't spoken in tongues, this can be your day...just ask Him to fill you," didn't amount to anything. So, I'm listening to this message pretty sure of what was to happen...everyone will speak in tongues, some new folks will be filled with the Holy Spirit and here I am, Minister, still without the manifestation of tongues. Furthermore, I really struggled with the concept of having the Holy Spirit because I didn't speak in tongues. While I know that tongues is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, I couldn't wrap my mind around having Christ live on the inside of me without the evidence that He does.
As Pastor was wrapping up his message, I was fully prepared to worship God but not really push to have that manifestation because it didn't happen before and I really didn't feel like being let down. Now, I'm not sure if it was him saying, "It's not enough to carry God inside of you...," validating that is very well living inside of me even though I don't have the evidence or if it was him saying, "Why not today? Pentecost Sunday? Why not say, 'I have nothing to lose and everything to gain?' And some of you all's problem is really just doubt," but I decided to really give it another try. To save time, I was filled with the Holy Spirit that Sunday! While I was definitely excited, I was mostly humbled. I mean, I had the most negative, doubtful attitude prior to and God decided to fill me with His spirit nonetheless! Yea, I cried like a baby and had mixed emotions. While I was elated, I was also feeling quite penitent. 14 people were baptized with the Holy Ghost that day and it was ridiculously amazing to have experienced that.
Since Sunday, the song mentioned above, has gained a deeper meaning! Outside of God, His presence, His will, His way, live is horrible! Compare my life before and after Christ, the latter is so much greater! Truth be told, there wasn't too much before Christ that I completely enjoyed and had a hard time giving up. My hardest struggle was breaking an addiction and no one wants to be addicted...I mean, you have no control over self. But now, now that I have Christ and He's overflowing in me, I smile just to think that He decided to get comfortable. Every second of my existence is through Him and I am humbled to be a carrier of God...to take Him wherever I go. I'm carrying precious cargo and have to make sure that I don't find myself in a position to be robbed, mugged, hoodwinked or bamboozled. I have to protect it at all costs but most of all, give in to His spirit and allow myself to be led by Him in all that that means!
I'm alive!
Here's a link to the song: http://youtu.be/RTZladDzMRM.
Ah ah ah...
I'm alive in You
I'm alive in You
Oooooooooooh
I'm alive in You
In You I live and move and
Have my being
So I'm alive
I'm alive in You
(repeat)
Wake up to see the dawning
Of a brand new day
The sun is
Shining brighter than the day before
I'm in love with You so much more
And every time I seek Your face
I'm reminded of Your saving grace
In Your presence I stand amazed
And I'm in awe of Your Beauty and all of Your ways
I've nothing else to say
So here's the highest praise
Hallelujah!
I'm alive in You!
Hallelujah!
I'm alive in You! (repeat 5x)
I'm alive in You!
I'm alive in You!
I live to worship You, Lord!
I live to worship You, Lord!
I live to worship You, Lord!
I live, I live in You!
(repeat 3x)
Hallelujah!
I am alive in You!
Hallelujah!
I am alive!
Yes, I am alive!
OOOOOOOOOH
I am alive!
I'm alive in You!
The song is so beautiful and so pretty and while I loved it before this past weekend, I love it all the more now!
This weekend, in conjunction with May 29th, has been so monumental. On May 29th, I was ordained as a licensed minister! My family came down for the Ordination Ceremony at church and it was a great time of fellowship and elevation. So many things shifted in my life with that elevation and it's all for the better.
This past weekend, June 12th, was Pentecost Sunday. I didn't know there was such a day but, as Pastor began his message, I was informed rather quickly. Pentecost Sunday is all fine and dandy except for the fact that he was preaching from Acts where the Holy Ghost fell on the peoples and they all began to speak in other tongues. Why is that a problem? Because I had been wanting to have such manifestation in my life for years and all of the different services where people would say, "The Holy Spirit is in this room! Pray in your heavenly language. If you haven't spoken in tongues, this can be your day...just ask Him to fill you," didn't amount to anything. So, I'm listening to this message pretty sure of what was to happen...everyone will speak in tongues, some new folks will be filled with the Holy Spirit and here I am, Minister, still without the manifestation of tongues. Furthermore, I really struggled with the concept of having the Holy Spirit because I didn't speak in tongues. While I know that tongues is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, I couldn't wrap my mind around having Christ live on the inside of me without the evidence that He does.
As Pastor was wrapping up his message, I was fully prepared to worship God but not really push to have that manifestation because it didn't happen before and I really didn't feel like being let down. Now, I'm not sure if it was him saying, "It's not enough to carry God inside of you...," validating that is very well living inside of me even though I don't have the evidence or if it was him saying, "Why not today? Pentecost Sunday? Why not say, 'I have nothing to lose and everything to gain?' And some of you all's problem is really just doubt," but I decided to really give it another try. To save time, I was filled with the Holy Spirit that Sunday! While I was definitely excited, I was mostly humbled. I mean, I had the most negative, doubtful attitude prior to and God decided to fill me with His spirit nonetheless! Yea, I cried like a baby and had mixed emotions. While I was elated, I was also feeling quite penitent. 14 people were baptized with the Holy Ghost that day and it was ridiculously amazing to have experienced that.
Since Sunday, the song mentioned above, has gained a deeper meaning! Outside of God, His presence, His will, His way, live is horrible! Compare my life before and after Christ, the latter is so much greater! Truth be told, there wasn't too much before Christ that I completely enjoyed and had a hard time giving up. My hardest struggle was breaking an addiction and no one wants to be addicted...I mean, you have no control over self. But now, now that I have Christ and He's overflowing in me, I smile just to think that He decided to get comfortable. Every second of my existence is through Him and I am humbled to be a carrier of God...to take Him wherever I go. I'm carrying precious cargo and have to make sure that I don't find myself in a position to be robbed, mugged, hoodwinked or bamboozled. I have to protect it at all costs but most of all, give in to His spirit and allow myself to be led by Him in all that that means!
I'm alive!
Here's a link to the song: http://youtu.be/RTZladDzMRM.
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