Called To Love

How many of you who were are visually challenged,  the first thing you do is reach for your glasses. Sometimes I don't open my eyes before I put them on.  In my devotional time, God reminded me that just like our glasses, we must put on Christ before we do anything in order to see our day the way He intends. Our purpose is clearer, our way is clearer. With Christ, all the small print becomes legible and clear. We don't tend to trip over things the enemy  places before us to destroy us.  Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Putting God first in the begnning if your day makes all that you want to accomplish will be clearer and purposeful through Him. Unapologetic, G

There is such a contrasting dynamic from being in a room of people you know on the surface and being in the presence of someone you have a personal relationship with. The conversation is different . You reveal more of your true character, deeper thoughts and pure emotions. You feel safe exposing your true self. You feel protected, valued and loved. Time spent in Gods presence through prayer, meditation, and reading His word develops those feelings of safety, security, and love. Whoever dwells in the shelter  of the Most High  will rest in the shadow  of the Almighty.   2  I will say of the  Lord , “He is my refuge  and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. ” Psalms 91:1-2 introduces Gods promises that come from living in His presence. He assures us that it will provide us with  protection, safety, and shelter. Being in His presence will also give us a personal confidence in Him that He will protect us and supply what we need as well as the security that this relati

As we face the 2020 Pandemic, it is close to impossible on your own knowledge, courage, and strength not to become anxious and afraid. Daily updates on death tolls, frightening recounts of people dying alone, and so much more. As we shelter at home day after day, we are often left to the overwhelming reminders of how uncertain and different life is becoming. Those of us who know Christ are quietly struggling due to a lack of normalcy of worship and fellowshipping with other believers. Those of us whose families are spread out struggle with the lack of touch and affection. As I search the scriptures for strength, God reminded me in Philippians 4:6-7 how to strengthen our faith even in perilous times. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. His first instruction to us

Although we are living in more isolated conditions and are learning the new normal of shelter in place and social distancing, it seems the noise has gotten louder. Amidst all the chaos and conflicting opinions, it is so hard to hear from God. I encourage you to take the time throughout your day... steal away, shut down the noise, turn up your worship, pray, read the word, talk to God, but most importantly listen to what he is saying... " My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. " John 10:27 His message to us clear... " 14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 Lord, help us hear your voice today. Whether our days be long or short... whether our hearts be heavy or light. Whether our strength is weak or strong... help us hear your vo

Entering the 3rd week of shelter in place from this pandemic I've found myself seeking a spiritual balance for a new normal. During my old normal, I had grown accustomed to my morning prayer time as I traveled to work, my devotional reading time at the beginning of my workday, my daily opportunities to share and witness with co-workers throughout the day. Earlier this week I began to notice myself replacing those spiritual normals with new normals that didn't always include God. I found myself distracted by fear, worry, and despair. It's not that I had lost faith but I allowed Satan to distract me and shift my focus. I felt like Peter when he took his eyes off Jesus. As we navigate through this new normal of isolation and separation from man, we must remember that we are never separated from God. "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.." Psalms 46:1 To add to that assurance, God had me to read deeper into the passa

I never thought in all my days I would witness seeing waves of unmistakable signs that God is trying to get our attention. Waves of violence, waves of unexpected and unpredictable weather, now a global pandemic. Let me be real... I'm human, and have concerns... not so much am I scared, but concerned that first of all there are still those who despite God's warnings and signs still chose not to recognize him as the God. My second concern is about those who know God, but are being reckless... Now is the time to mobilize the army of believers to strenghten the Body of Christ through prayer and His word... Don't let selfish, self serving, ideological motives seperate Gods people from each other or Him... God's word is clear to those who hear and believe. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their la

As a child, when I would get hurt I would always tell the story of what happened. If I fell off my bike, I would share how fast I was going and what I was trying to jump over. When I fell out of the tree, I bragged about how high I got before I slipped. Those experiences produced scars. The scars I acquired in my youth all came with a story of triumph. As we get older our scars no longer remind us of the triumphs, but of the pain, the lies, the helplessness, and worthlessness. The enemy uses them against us. He uses them as a trap and we become disappointed in whom we have become. I am so glad that we have a God that takes our scars and turns them into badges of victory. We have a God that is crazy in love with us! He sees the scars whether internal or external and reminds us that its okay not to be ok because through whatever we are facing, he is there. He seals the deal by showing us his scars. Understand that God could have removed his scars upon his resurrection, but he chose

Many of us have found ourselves in a desperate place. We become overwhelmed by our situations, circumstances, and responsibilities. We feel that we have failed when the results are not what we expect. We begin to believe the lies about ourselves and God and fall victim to our thoughts.  You have to know where those thoughts come from... "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44 Be encouraged! We serve a God of Extraordinary patience, strength and unwavering power. Know that when you find yourself in a fight for your life, you just need to give the fight over to God! It's ok that we don't get it all right... God is not expecting perfection, just faith. "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the

Everyone has had some struggles in life. Times we have done or said things that we were not proud of.  There is an adage that says; "When we do right, no one remembers. When we do wrong, no one forgets." That's just how people are.  I am so glad that we serve a God who takes all those things, those titles, those sins and erases them from time.  "...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 So when someone reminds you of who you were and what you've done, remind them that "you don't know me, you knew me" I am a new creature through Christ Jesus! "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17  Unapologetically, G

Traveling through life's journey we experience many seasonal changes. Some seasons are easy and enjoyable while others are hard and painful. There are seasons where we can clearly hear the voice of God and see the works of his hands. There are other seasons where we are barely holding on and feeling like we are surrounded by suffering and utter darkness and cannot hear his voice or feel his presence.  Be assured that during these dark and painful times,  God is ever-present holding and comforting us and healing our minds, hearts, and souls. Be of good courage, God is here, right now. Quiet your spirit, lean on him for strength and trust that He will never leave you nor forsake you. " Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalms 23:4 Unapologetically, G

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11  Every great and difficult time you have faced, God already knew the outcome and had a purpose in it. We often walk around poor mouthed,  asking God, "Why me?".  Most of the time we never stop to wait for His answer.  " And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28    If God's word is true and if you are a called out believer of Christ, no matter what you go through in life, great or difficult, you know that it's all for your good and His glory. We must stand content knowing that God, the master-builder who knew us before we were even conceived, has the blueprints for our lives and its purpose.  We need to trust Him and stand on his word for our destiny. Unapologetically, G

I am a list maker! I make list daily for home, work and  ministry. Although I can clearly see the big picture of the things I want to accomplish, I am that girl that has to write out every step on how to get it done. I can at some times become compulsive with my list, but that's just me.  The Holy Spirit reminded me that Satan knows his job and that is to Steal, Kill and Destroy. Day after day, tactic after tactic, he is relentless in trying to take your mind and actions off of doing God's will and walking in His purpose.  Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. This morning as I began to fuss and my little girl about her mix-matched socks, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what a blessing it is to have her in my life. As I searched the refrigerator to find that my favorite snack was M.I.A, the Holy Spirit reminded me to look around at all of the other choices I had.   The songwriter says; "Count your Blessings, name them one by

"I've got a new name over in glory and its mine, mine, mine..." I remember hearing that song for many years believing that when I make it to heaven that God would give me a new name. I believed that everything associated with my current name would be over when I made it in. The thing is that in addition to the given name by my parents, I picked up so many other names along my journey... Worth-less, insecure, not enough, damaged, and bitter. These are the names that I wanted to be changed on this side of heaven. These are the names that I've carried around like weights around my neck, making it close to impossible to hold my head up. How do I let go of those names that remind me of my past, my pains, and my mistakes? I am so grateful that for everything we deal with in life, God has an answer. Revelation 2:17 says; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will

Some of the most motivated, enthusiastic,  and spiritual people have at one time or another experienced moments in their life that they had questioned their significance. We've all had Moments when we've wondered if we've made a difference to anyone or made anything better. God wants to reminds you that you are his masterpiece, Significant  and valuable. You we're created to be who you are, unique and beautiful. What you see as flaws were purposefully woven in your fabric making you one of a kind work of art. " For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. " Ephesians 2:10 Go out unashamed and do the work you've been called to do. Unapologetically, G

In 1942 The United States begin instituting the draft to build up the military branches in preparation for war. Men from the ages of 21 to 45 were required to register. We are in a time of war right now. You may not see it, and that's what the enemy is planning on. The enemy would love nothing more than to overwhelm us with discouragement, defeat, fear, and stress. We cannot let him win. The War that we are facing is spiritual. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)" 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 God is enlisting his Prayer Warriors to take to the field and pray for the salvation of His people and the healing of the land. We have been given our marching orders and we must answer the call. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hea

There were many church songs we sung as children that had deeper meanings that weren't revealed until my relationship with Christ grew and matured. "I want to be a follower of Christ" It made me think of the disciple's journey as they followed God on the earth. It was very hard for me to comprehend how without God in the flesh, I could become a true follower of Christ.  As my relationship with God matured and I realized that God was in me, my heart, mind, spirit, and soul, being a follower was easy. Yet I desired more. I wanted a more intimate relationship with God. That is when the scripture opened up to me and revealed that He desired to be my friend. At one time, I had a really twisted idea of friendships.  I had lost many people whom I called friend which left me hurt and broken. I vowed never to call anyone friend because it was too closely related to pain and brought bad memories and hurt. But there is a song; "I am a friend of God" that made m

Some mornings when you open your eyes, life is standing by your bedside, boxing gloves tightly strapped, greased up, warmed up and ready for round one. All you had planned for the day is time with God, a mocha latte, a warm blanket, and a good book. You've prayed, studied and fellowshipped with the father daily, You've been in battle all week with children misbehaving in school, bills collectors calling, family members in need of your help, challenges on the job, and to add the cherry on top you just don't feel well. All you wanted to do today is rest from battle, but life is still warming up and bouncing around the ring waiting for your feet to hit the floor.  These are the times when your strength is low, your desire to go into battle is not there and you feel unprepared, uninspired and wanting to turn over and pull the covers over your head. I'm so glad our heavenly father knows his children. He knows when we are tired and weak from the daily battles we face and he

We have all experienced hurt, and disappointments. We've all been pushed to the point of wanting to quit. We've all been blindsided by people and events that rocked our world. As I've allowed God to guide me through these life altering moments, I've discovered moments of spiritual growth. I've discovered that these hard times have proven two things in my life. Satan ( not the people or person) desires to  kill, still and destroy my witness and my character. God has already written my story, paid the price for my ransom, and made me victorious. So as I go through life's trials and journey, I cannot and will not allow my emotions to derail my dreams. I will press toward the prize that I am assured is waiting for me.  I will put my emotions and feelings in check.  I will check my will daily to assure it is Gods will for me and not mine.  I will trust God for all things even when I don't  understand.  Unapologetically, G

During one of my needed binge-watching moments, I had the joy of watching a movie that themed around a woman who was preparing for a 5k run. She was so out of shape that she was struggled going up the stairs to her 2nd-floor apartment. Through her window, she would watch her neighbor stretch, put on her earphones and run daily. One day she decided to ask her neighbor why she ran. The neighbor told her that she was preparing for a 5k run, but in addition, she had so much going on negative in her life that running gave her freedom, endurance, and strength that she needed to make it through her day. She invited her to join them. What stood out to me, was her advice to start one block at a time and that she would do it with her. The word of God encourages us to run our race with endurance, but it also tells us how to run. Being surrounded by a large cloud of witnesses (Those who know and have witnesses Gods goodness) Lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensnares us (Let

Regardless of your upbringing, or family makeup, every child has at one time or another has sat in their parent's or grandparents' lap. The warmth, security, and compassion that envelopes you is a feeling that you will never forget. Time with God leaves us feeling that same way. Being held by him, feeling the warmth of his arms, hearing the beat of his heart and knowing the love of our father brings such peace. Before you begin your very busy day, sit in his lap, take in his word and hear his voice. As you navigate through your "To-Do List", pause and take the time to sit a moment in his lap and connect with him.  As you end your day, snuggle in his lap and read His word, receive His wisdom, peace and rest. Having that kind of relationship with God is without question the greatest love you will ever know. Unapologetically, G

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  Rev. 21:5 With the busyness of the holidays, added responsibilities, and ramped up obligations, we often lose sight of what's most important... our faith journey.  Speaking for myself, I have the security in knowing that God is ever present in my walk and with that understanding, I sometimes take for granted that I have an obligation to nurture and continually build on my faith and relationship with God.  I appreciate Gods gentle reminders and loving nudges to get back on track... redirect our priorities, and set our focuses back on him.  I dont believe in "New Years Resolutions"... but I do believe in setting goals and priorities.  My goal for this 20/20 year is focus. Focusing on hearing Gods word more clearly. Focusing on being lead by, and moving in the spirit and anointing of God. Finally. Focusin