Makeover

Good day peoples!

Guess what? I got a make-over a few weeks ago. It was much needed because my look was so outdated. I have gotten way to old to wear some of the things that I used to think were cool. I had outgrown that old look. You know how sometimes you just look in the mirror and just say to yourself..."I have GOT to get a new look." Yup, that's what I did. Only instead of looking in my bathroom mirror, I looked in the Word of God. And guess what it said...yup! MAKEOVER TIME!!!! Only, this type of makeover isn't so fun, but the changes that result are not temporary, but eternal...hopefully.

Can I talk to you a minute? K great, thanks

Isaiah 6 talks about a man who said "yes" to God, and from that day was changed. Until recently I didn't know what it really meant to say "yes God." I knew it was more than just a word and a few crocodile tears. I knew it was more than that, but I still could not seem to say it in a way that would make it permanent. Like I'd say "yes" on Friday, but three weeks later I would be back to questioning God about what He was doing, like He didn't know. I go back to searching for the opinions of others when I knew what was what.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Purification


For the past few months (umm...maybe years) I've gone along pretty content with my life. I knew that I hadn't reached my destiny and I was content in my striving to get there, because I felt like I was making progress, and I was. I was progressing at a nice pace for someone who is 22 years old and just trying to make it in a world that doesn't always want to give you a leg up. I'm realizing these days that it's true, I was doin alright for myself; slowly advancing, climbing the ladder of academia. Putting some degrees under my belt. Making some speeches and appearances at professional conferences. However, I am learning that God has so much more for me than striving and struggling. I have a wonderful habit of getting caught up in the process and forgetting about the destination. I stopped one day not so long ago. Stopped the striving and the struggling and the fitting in, and all I said was..."yes God." It wasn't pretty. It wasn't eloquent. It was real. I am unclean, with unclean lips and an unclean heart. Woe is me honey! But I asked God, if you would only take coal and place it upon my lips so that I might be clean. So that I speak only things that you would speak. So that I do only things that you would do. So that I go only places you would go. Because woe. is. me. Caught up in the process, forgetting about the destination.


I have a great drive for knowledge. I love to KNOW things. For the most part, that is an asset. It's good to want to constantly educate yourself about your surroundings. Knowledge is power, and people parish for the lack it. Only for me, there would be times when my thirst for knowledge would be so great that I'd surprise that all important step of gaining wisdom.


Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.


After learning all that I have learned I am now in a place where I am ready to gain wisdom. What is the point of knowledge if you don't know how to use it. What's the point of knowing the bible if you don't follow it. God says if you love Him, you'll obey Him. Simple right? Only if you have a serious "yes God" in you. Would you be willing to give up every comfort, every secure thing in your life if God said that you need to come away with Him? The verse says "though it cost all you have, get UNDERSTANDING." A lot of people have knowledge, but it takes a perculiar person to be brave enough to use that knowledge to make an actual change.

One thing I've learned and am beginning to understand is this: When God is pulling you away, you need to go away. "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7). You can't fully ignore His call, probably because you'll have no peace of mind nor spirit. He is trying to shape you and prepare you for where you are going. You need to get back on the potter's wheel, and no matter how hard it may be, you can't take people with you. This is a solo ride. As I said, it takes a complete "yes God" to be willing to let go of your current life for the life He wants of you.

My life is no longer my own. The hand of the Lord is making me over.


So now what?

I'm excited. I'm ecstatic. I'm willing. I'm scared. I'm just going along with God on this one, completely trusting Him. COMPLETELY. It doesn't matter what is said about it. It doesn't matter how I feel about it. If God says "move" I gotta move. I know that after this is all over, my former glory and my current afflictions will be nothing in comparison to what God is going to release. The only thing is I have to be prepared to catch it.

So makeovers can seem scary. They can totally strip you of what you find comfort in. They can cause so many changes in you; emotional changes, physical changes, mental changes. They can cause others to react to you differently. But every once in a while they are much needed. They are a good thing, even though it may bruise or hurt a bit...or a lot, it's necessary. So if God is pulling at you and telling you to go away, go away. Why continue to be content with what you have when He wants to enlarge your territory. He is trying to get to your whole heart, free of distraction. So give Him your whole heart, free of distraction.





Our lives are not our own. We were created to carry the weight of His glory. Unless we totally surrender our lives and give up all ground, we will never experience His glory the way He intended us to.





Give up all ground and say "yes"

~~~~



Oh yea, something strange happened to me the other day. I was at work (at a hotel) and this lady was staying there. She has stayed there before so I kind of recognized her. Anyway she had a question and I was showing her how to do something and she glanced at my purity ring. She asked me what it was and I simply explained it was a purity ring and she about flipped out. She gasped, placed her hands over her mouth, and I thought she was about to cry. She then started telling me about how she wished she had waited until marriage and all that, and how she really had a heart to just minister to young women about the importance of abstinence. We then just started talking and I was just so blessed by her heart that is just so full of love and compassion for ministering; for being a servant. She wanted to start some type of group at her home church in Atlanta that focuses on encouraging young people to live for God, but she was scared. "What if people react like...crazy to the idea or something?" she said. My response was.."they might, but God put this in your heart." I tried to encourage her by letting her know that this was a good thing she wanted to do and God had entrusted the idea to her. She was soo sweet.



Ms. Diane, I hope that you continue to seek after the things of God and continue to be filled with a fire for ministry.





That is all

You Make Everything GLORIOUS

Whoooo what a week!!

I'm gonna make a really long blog really short, K?

Alright, so I was driving on the interstate (I-24 to be exact) the other day and some stuff fell out of a truck in front of me. I couldn't swerve riiiiggghhhttt, or left (lol, sorry) cuz there were trucks on both sides, so I buckled down and prepared to hit all this stuff. It was tools and stuff...and the cop had the nerve to ask me what kind of tools exactly...and where they were now! I DONT KNOW!! LOL Well they told me my suspension, frame, EVERYTHING was jacked. Sounds expensive...but wait, I have insurance right? Yup...with a $1000 deductible. OMG

Well how about my final bill went from $1000 to $403 to $300 to $100!!!!!!!!!! Yup. Can you say that the Lord is AMAZING. There was this lady at the Nissan office who took pity on me, and did everything she could. I don't know what she did. I don't know exactly what God did. But you know what?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!!!!


So my mini-vaca is still on and I can't wait!


Hmmm...what else. Nothing really. Just excited about life. Good news after more good news after MORE GOOD NEWS! Today, all I can say is I love God sooo much. Its like the more I chase Him, the more He chases me. And it always helps to have like-minded people around to encourage me :)


BTW I don't think I ever put of pics of my Cali trip. Well heres one! lol...I miss everyone sooo much!!

Word of the day: Humility

I never want to appear prideful. I never EVER want to appear as if I look down on anyone! You know why? Because God is the only reason for every good and perfect thing in my life; my job, my relationships, by fam, my friends...everything! So who am I to think of myself as better than another?!


Folks, I don't care how fly you may think you are. You are no better than anyone else. You're fly because you're covered by the blood of Jesus. Thats it, thats all. So I humble myself, because after all, I'm just a servant; a conduit for His glory.

Alright...just wanted to give that brief "thank ya Jesus" story!

As the girls would say...."thats that on that!"

Abba's Heart

Alright, so I haven't blogged in a really really really really really long time. Haven't had time to, and haven't really felt like it. BUT I do want to share this with you all.

I was invited to this thing called Abba's Heart right? At first I just thought it was a few ladies getting together and just testifying about the goodness of God and coming together in worship. Well, I started to hear about it from a few different people which got me wondering...umm...how many people are gonna be there???


You see, I was asked to sing and play at it, and as I'm sure ALL of you know...I HATE playing by myself, although I am beginning to get over that fear. So when I found out that there was gonna be like...a lot of people there I kinda freaked out!! NOOOO!!! Well I couldn't very well back out...I ain't no punk. But still....maybe a little scared....or a lot.


So anyway, I go over my friend Court's house to play it for her. I could barely get through that! Lord I have a problem lol. After I'm done, and a wrestling session with her dog Lyrical, we head out. We get there at around 5 to help cook, and everyone else is scheduled to get there around 7. TACOS!!! Ladies and gents, I love me some tacos! I need to thank the Lord for that little extra time before the other folks arrived. It gave me some time to laugh, act a fool (as usual) and relax. Just what I needed.

Well we eat, I met some AWESOME people (Leslie, Becka Shay *did I spell that right?*, plus a whole lot more...those are just the names I remember). And here comes Deidra, "Anjelica is gonna start us off tonight with a song of worship." CRAP. You know what? I started the song, and I finished the song. That's all that matters right?! LMBO!! And then people just begin to pray, worship, and sing. I LOVED it. Who knew there were ladies that got together on a Friday night with the purpose of encouraging one another and worshipping? It was great. What better way to get your mind off of yourself but to put it on God? Everything is in worship. Everything.


Now me. I've been pretty good. Actually, considering a few minor bumps in the road, I've been really good. I've finally gotten the courage to put myself under a microscope and say..."ok Lord. This is it. Fix me up." And I think like .3 seconds after I said that, He began. Now in the past, a prayer of mine has always been for the Lord to make me more like Him, give me a clean heart, all that. But this time...I was like..."God, do whatever you got to do! I have GOT to be exactly where you want me." I got to a point where I no longer want to be enveloped in negative and doubtful thoughts. A change in comin!

The Lord has since brought some great women in my life who #1. Don't take any of my excuses. For example, they'll ask me how I'm doing or what's going on. I'll give them the usual "life is good." And they start digging in. They address issues in my life and issues about me that no one has ever really addressed before. And although it is uncomfortable, I appreciate all of it. My desire is to grow. To be better. And one thing I've had to do is learn to be by myself. Now this is a struggle. I LOVE my friends and I love to chill, but this is a time when I need to hear clearly, and that requires some intimate me and Jesus time and some serious fasting. I thank God daily for those women who have pushed me into getting real with God. I've learned that relationships with people may come and they may go, but no matter what happens there, I still have to continually push to grow in my relationship with God. So saints, please pray with me. I'm embarking in a serious spiritual make-over and coming out better for it. What does Paul say...something about how one's current afflictions is nothing compared to the future glory. Ima have to find that scripture after I'm done with this.

Can I share something? I am worried about one thing. I don't want my peeps to think that I'm replacing them or have gotten "too good" for them or anything. Haven't you ever just gotten to a point where you have to block out all other stuff so you can go deeper with God? Well that is all that this is. I love all the people in my life, and I know that they love me. Pretty soon, they'll be able to love a better me! I was talkin to Lola and Crystal about how I've been soo ghost. I have. Never spent so much time focusing on God in my life. This is a good thing. But I've decided if folks don't understand, they just don't understand....I still gotta keep it movin....and so do you.

Okey Dokey...until next time.

Word of the day..week...month...year...lol: Surrender.


Peaces!! ♥