The Heart Factor

The only way for you to truly experience the power of God is to open your heart and mind to receiving the Holy Spirit in your life. No one can make you say yes, and God surely isn't going to force you to come to Him. The bible says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead, you shall and will be saved. 

Romans 10:9 

It's easy to declare a thing with your words and it doesn't come to pass because you lack the heart factor. You have to believe in your heart without having any signs of doubt that He is real in order for you to have a direct encounter with God. Some of you have lost hope and have given up on God because you haven't felt His presence or actually had an overwhelming experience that you see everyone else in church experiencing. Some of you are struggling and having a hard time hearing Him or even believing that He even cares about you. Some of you are having trouble grasping the truth that someone so big and with so much power would love YOU so much. Some of you are in troubling situations that you would never think that God would care about you enough to get you out of it. Some of you are still resisting God's hand because of your past. Some of you are constantly blaming Him for your mother' death, or your cheating husband, or your bullying classmates. Some of you think that God is too slow and that He is taking too long to fix an issue.

Whatever the issue may be it all boils down to Doubt.

Picture this:
You decided to visit a church and it's worship time. The lights are low, the music is soothing, and everyone around you has their hands raised. People are crying, shouting, on their knees in surrenderance, pouring out and giving everything they have to God. In your mind you're thinking, "these people are really into this stuff, and I am not feeling anything at all..what am I missing? Did this God skip over me when He supposedly decided to release His Spirit. My hands are raised too and my eyes are closed but yet I feel nothing. These people have to be faking it or putting on a show. They have to be right? Because I'm not feeling it. Am I the only one here not feeling it? Maybe this isn't for me. Maybe He doesn't care about me. Maybe I am not worthy to receive Him. Maybe I don't need Him. I keep trying over and over again, going to different churches and yet still NOTHING. Where is He? People are shouting and crying, but I don't see this God. Did I miss His grand entrance? I need to pay attention more. Did He leave already? I can't see Him. Am I alone? Man, what's the point. I give up...."

Some of you are stuck in this cycle and refuse to try again because God didn't come the way that  you expected Him to come. And because your expectations were shot, you were left discouraged and hurt and eventually gave up.

This pattern of thought is nothing but an ongoing, never-ending process of doubt, and ultimately, lack of faith. 

How can I believe in a God that I cannot see? How can you believe in something that you can't touch physically?

Well, to me, it's easy. FAITH. When I submitted my life to Christ in 2011, I made the choice to surrender everything to Him that couldn't be under MY control anymore. I decided that I wasn't going to depend on ME anymore because I was getting no where far with doing that. I wanted to stop the cycle and actually be the someone that I saw in my dreams but could never touch because I was missing something. I made the choice to have faith in Jesus Christ. I didn't just say that He is my Savior and that He died on the cross and rose from the dead, but I actually believed it. Once I made that declaration and made the conscious effort to believe in the God of the Universe in my HEART, I got chills all over my body, my body felt as if it was on fire and my stomach was turning as if I ate some bad cheese that day. (and I didn't! lol) I felt him on the inside of me and realized that all along He was there, I just needed to tap into that place in my heart and actually believe that Jesus is real. I literally needed to activate the Christ that was already living on the inside of me.

The only way to activate the Christ in you is by letting go of every bit of fear and doubt. Letting go of the questions and preconceived notions that you've heard about Jesus. It's faith. Putting your faith in a supreme individual that you CAN see. It's believing that He is everything and because He is everything, you can see Him in everything. It is literally going alll the way. You don't have to fix yourself up in order for Him to accept you and you don't have to "get right" either. Because guess what? He has already accepted you, you just have to accept Him. He accepted you with every flaw and every insecurity, He wants you with every imperfection. He literally wants it all.

If you want a dynamic spiritual encounter with God, just accept Him into your life. Stop looking at how everyone else is experiencing Him, and experience Him for yourself. This lifestyle is not a religion, it's a relationship and God wants to build a relationship with you today. While you've been waiting for Him to come down with bells and whistles and on this cloud with thunder dashing from the sky, He has been waiting for YOU to open your heart up for Him to come in.

For those who say they are believers, but are still having a hard time grasping the fact that God loves you, or if He cares, or if He wants you with all your baggage, you too have lost faith. You too, just like many others have doubted His infinite, unchanging love for you. When you were saved, you were asked if you believed that Jesus died on the cross. If you were, then you were introduced to the truth about God's love for you. HE gave His only son so that YOU can have eternal life and live free from bondage. Don't ever forget that beloved. He truly cares for you. And yes, we may not understand why and how bad things happen to good people, but because we put our faith in the One who created us, we should trust His hand and His plans and never doubt His ability to do the impossible. Remember, "ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28.

And even if you can't physically "feel" Him, He wants your faith in Him to be so strong that you know that you know He is there and no one can ever make you believe otherwise. He is here with you, you are just blinded by the doubt.

Open your heart.......I promise you'll never be the same! 

-Taylor Simon

Were You There?

Robin Williams

July 21, 1951- August 11, 2014

This situation reminds me of the song that I use to sing in church---

"Were you there when they crucified my Lord, Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree, Were you there when the stone was rolled away....."

Now let me be totally clear, I am not at all saying that Mr. Robin Williams is Jesus. But the reality is is that his situation, along with many others, are somewhat similar. Their circumstances may not have been at the extremity of what Jesus Christ went through but they have some connection. 

How? Well let's start with our Lord and Savior....

Were you there when they nailed Jesus to the tree? Were you there rooting for Him, or were you putting Him on the cross? If you were physically there, would you be spiritually aware that what was happening was wrong? And if so, would you have done something about it? Or would you allow fear to consume you and keep you from standing up for the One who gave His life for you? What is justice? Is justice a physical fight or a spiritual battle that can be diffused by you and I? And if you were there with Jesus, watching Him go through a spiritual battle, would you have fought for Him? Or would you be like the ones in the crowd that assume because Jesus is the Son of God, He can totally take Himself off of the cross? Yes, God was there, but He was waiting for somebody to stand out of the crowd to fight for His Son. He wanted to see if someone would be bold. Someone who would intercede for Jesus. Even in the mist of our enemies, He wanted to see if you could let the fear of what man may say, think, or even do to you go and fight for Jesus....

In Robin Williams case...

He was a comedian/actor who managed to bring joy into someone else's life, but did not have the ability to maintain it in his heart. Due to this, he drowned in depression and committed suicide. 

Who was there beside him? Were you there with him? Who was there encouraging him, rooting for his life, and leading him to Christ? God was there with him, but someone who God wanted to use to help him was out of position and therefore, God couldn't get through to him.

Brothers and Sisters, we all have a calling and a mission on earth to lead the lost souls back to Christ, but he didn't have that opportunity to know who Christ was because someone was out of position. Someone was too afraid to intercede on his behalf. And many of us have become so blinded with the assumption that he was okay because he basically had "everything he wants and needs right"? Who wouldn't be happy? He had the career of his dreams, money, cars, and clothes. THE WHOLE NINE HARD! But quite frankly, none of that will not get you into heaven. None of these material things we call "happiness" will ever bring you happiness without the love of God. Fame and fabulosity is great, but will never be able to fill those empty voids. I can agree that they can make you happy for the moment but not for a lifetime. However, I know someone who can. And that's JESUS!:) Material things didn't give its life for Robin and others just like him, and it surely can't love him like Jesus can!

Have we forgotten our role in the body?  Have we been limiting ourselves behind church walls? Do you really think that all the gifts and talents that god has given you is strictly for the people who already know about Jesus? What about the ones who have not even thought about stepping foot in the church? I'm talking about the people in your neighborhood, in the store, at the mall, in the music business, politicians, business owners,...etc., etc.

We have to stop allowing an individuals outer appearance to get in the way of the reality that exists in their heart and mind! Who will take a stand for others? When will we get out of our selfish and judgmental ways and start looking for the best interest of others in need? I WILL, because I know what the Lord has done for me and I want someone else to know about Jesus, even if I have to make it to the top! Let's make Jesus famous so that those on high places and those that don't know Him can truly see who the real star is and be filled with the truth and knowledge of our Lord and Savior! Just like Jesus, don't ever assume that they are okay because of what they have. And do not assume that because they wear a smile in public, they keep it on at home.

You can try to pay for counselors, psychologist, or psychiatrist and still end up with a loss. A loss of money and a loss of light that could never brighten the darkness in your life. Want something free? Something that you can't pay for, something that you don't have to pay for? You don't have to pay for Jesus because His love is priceless. He paid the price for you so that you can have eternal life. He paid the bill already so that you can be free from sin and death. 

It should have brought him peace, and it should have saved his life,...let this be an example Believers,  let's get in our positions and save a life! Let's become more aware of what someone else needs so that these cases can become more irrelevant!

Chat with you soon,

Taylor Simon:)

Waiting for the Promise

Dearly Beloved,

This morning during my quiet time, I read the story of Sarai (Sarah) and Abram. Sarah, as well as her husband was growing old in age and eventually grew blind to the thought of being able to naturally conceive a child. Her sight was wounded and therefore her faith in the promise of having a child grew thin. She literally was like "God how long are you going to make me wait? I'm not getting any younger, what's the hold up, and why am I waiting so long? Aint nobody got time for that!" lol (in so many words) So due to her doubt and growing frustration, she took matters into her own hands and it eventually grew into something that God never intended to be in His plans for her life.

Genesis 16: 1-2
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her."

Have you been waiting on something so long that you literally would do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to get it? Like, you would go through drastic measures because you're so desperate to receive the thing that you can not wait for any longer. Are you waiting for a man, or a career, a baby? 

Speaking from my own experiences....WAITING IS HARD!!!!
Especially if you have seen the vision, God has shown you the dreams, He would sometimes give you the plans to write down. I had a friend who would come up to me explaining that she kept have countless dreams about a man that could very well be her husband and that he was looking for her. Now does that mean go out and look for him? NO! Because sometimes our desires can transpire into dreams that won't leave you alone due to the fact that you want it so bad. And because the enemy knows that you want it so bad, he will keep playing it over and over in your head until he eventually convinces you to move before God's timing. You surely don't want to awaken love before it's time, because that desire can put you with someone who may not even be your husband. And due to your impatient self, you're left stuck with someone who physically abuses you or cheats on you. 

Waiting is difficult especially if years have gone by and your expectations have not become your reality. Eventually your patience becomes thin and you become so desperate for the vision that you move before God's hand.

Sarah was literally fed up with waiting and basically took matters into her own hands. The consequences for her actions left her with baby mama drama, jealousy, hurt, and pride. And guess what? She had no one else to blame but herself because she moved ahead of God's timing.

God had a plan for Sarah. She was not forgotten. He had a plan to bless Abram and Sarai with their very own baby. A plan to bless the world through their offspring. Isaac (their child) would be the fulfillment of God's promise to them. That plan was definitely worth the wait.

Sis, God's plans are worth the wait. His plans are perfect. He has plans to prosper and make you into a great nation. He has plans "that will make you thrive and not be knocked down by life's setbacks" (Jeremiah 29:11-13). You may be tempted to take matters into your own hands, thinking that God is just "a little late". But don't risk God perfect intentions for you, by relying on your own schemes and plans. Wait for that promotion, be patient for that husband, wait for that career. Why must you wait you ask? God wants to build character in you, He wants to strengthen your faith in Him, He was to mature you in certain areas, and He wants to prepare you for the promise. You don't want to go into the promise with fear, doubt, and things that would prevent you from thriving in the promise. 

Side Note: My Pastor once told me that if I had the opportunity to meet TD Jakes or Tyler Perry and had nothing prepared or in hand to present to them, I wouldn't be ready for the door to be opened to me. I would need to get things in order naturally and spiritually before that promise was to be made available to me. You need to be ready so that when the time comes for God to open that door for you, you won't have anything holding you back from moving forward! So take joy in the preparation process. God wants His children to be fully equip when walking into the promised land!

Waiting for God's perfect timing can save you from years of heartbreak and turmoil! God has not forgotten about you, He is actually behind the scenes preparing the way for you. Remember, God is faithful and always keeps His promises....even if you have to wait! 

P.S God has three answers to your prayers, yes, not yet, or I have something greater in mind! :)

So you say you want the best?

    So you say you want the best of the best? God's Best?

Meaning, you want a guy who will treat you like a Queen, you want a Man who keeps God first, someone who loves you more than he loves himself, someone who will give you their last, someone who listens to you and appreciates everything that you do for them, someone who opens your door and rubs your feet after a long day, someone who uses wisdom and watches what he says when communicating with you, someone who has a divine mission in the Kingdom of God to get under, someone who is trustworthy, well mannered, someone who's attributes surpass their physical characteristics, someone who will hold you accountable, someone who is able to push you closer to Christ, someone who will be a great father, someone who helps out around the house, someone who gets along with your family, someone who is so passionate about what they do for the Lord, someone who is eager to seek God's will for his life, someone who is so diligent, someone who is comforting, sweet, gentle, kind, someone who is humble, someone who is not stubborn and has self-control, someone who calls you beautiful each morning, someone who cooks you breakfast from time to time, someone who does their very best not to hurt you, someone who is the strength in your weakness, someone who smells nice, someone who is patient in pursuing you and loves everything about you, flaws and all......

Now I'm not talking about the kind of guy who doesn't exist and will only exist if you allow him to, which is the type of guy who is handsome, cute, nice body, twelve pack, straight teeth, pretty eyes, athletic, who "goes to church", has lots of money and all sorts of things that will only keep you busy while he is talking to some other woman in another country.

I'm talking about the real deal, God's best, the one that only exist because God created Him for you, His chosen one for YOU, the one that he shaped and formed in his mother's womb just for you! The one who may be a little different but is your perfect match?


If you're ready for him, answer these questions first.

What makes you a woman that should be treated so? Do you treat yourself how you're supposed to be treated? Because if you don't know, how will you be able to recognize better treatment from your man? How will you be able to pray with him when you barely pray yourself? Do you allow God to give you what you truly deserve or do you allow yourself to get in the way of receiving the "best of the best" from the One who created you? How do you see yourself? Do you even see yourself as worthy? Do you see yourself as fearfully and wonderfully created? In other words, do you think KNOW you're beautiful? Because how will you be able to receive frequent compliments from your man if you can't see it yourself? You'll basically be shutting him down every time he says something nice to you!

What makes you qualified for the best? 
What is your resume saying?
 In the skills section, does it read....

•  knows how to be seductive
•  knows how to be manipulative
•  very skilled in being bitter and non-submissive
•  likes to talk back and snap neck 

What about your experience? Will it say..

• experience in being a Jezebel
• experience in carrying unforgiveness
• experience in sleeping with "randoms" as Heather Lindsey says
• experience in letting my flesh get the best of me
• experience in being a Delilah
• experience in mistreating others and being messy
• experience in "turning heads"

Are you in your word, praying and asking God to wreck your heart of everything that displeases Him. Are you asking God to fix your messed up ways? Have you forgiven yourself?

You say that you want a man who is consistent in doing these things, but are you? Sis, who's the hypocrite here?

Now we already understand that you're not perfect, I'm not perfect, and pretty much no one is perfect but Jesus Himself. But when you ask for the best, God's best,...are you even striving to be the best for "the best"? You're steady worrying about what your man needs to have in line and how he should act, but what about you and your actions? Now I'm not saying that you're not supposed to pray for your future husband and ask God what you desire to see in Him. But sister girl, you must have forgotten that God knows everything that you need, and along with that, He knows the desires of your heart. God is literally the perfect match maker, and when it's time for you to meet your perfect match, you'll be satisfied with God's choice. But the question is, do you trust God, His decisions and ability to hook you up with someone who is just perfect for you?

So where is your focus? Is it on seeking God's will for your life? Is it on allowing God to release you from soul ties, unforgiveness, hurt, and pain?

Because everything that you desire (the best) must first manifest in your life before God brings some one along who is the best to "add" to you. How can you expect someone to treat you like a Queen when you can't even see yourself as such? You can't expect great when you're not producing fruit in your own vineyard. Whatever you sew is what you will produce until you analyze what's in your own backyard. In other words, if you treat yourself like a $5.99 chick, you'll get treated like so, and you'll keep attracting that same type of guy!

God is not going to release your king until you are well prepared to be his queen. God has not released the best because he is protecting him from being manipulated and mistreated. God is protecting you from your man because, maybe he isn't "the best" just yet, maybe he is still "UNDER-CONSTRUCTION" just like you are. So be honest with yourself. Are you ready for Gods best? Or will you mess it up 5 days after you say "I Do"?

[When you do meet him, he still won't be perfect, God will deliver him in a perfectly imperfect package with a bow on him, but at that moment, he will be the best that he can be for you]

Get before the Lord sis, seek Him diligently, let Him show you your heart, let Him cleanse you of everything that would keep you further away from Him and your husband, Do you even know what the best is? let God be your husband so you'll know exactly who your husband should strive to be, let God show you His best so you'll be able to recognize the best that He has for you, be loved by God so that you can receive love from your husband, see yourself as beautiful, be made whole, let God fill every void, let Him take control, trust God and His choices, trust that He knows what's best for you, ask God to show you you before He gives you "him". Strive to be the best in God so that He can release the best to you sis.

Be worth pursuing....be more than qualified...seek to be extraordinary, be exceptional

love you dearly,

Taylor Simon

I am Healed

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and by His stripes [I] am healed...

                                                                      Isaiah 53:5

Firstly, I'd like to begin by talking about God's immeasurable grace, His inexhaustible mercy, His unfailing love, His inexpressible peace, His overwhelming amount of power! God is truly mighty, and worthy to be praised in spirit and in truth, day and night, through and through, until eternity. My words can't merely express God's love, and I surely can't thank Him enough even with a thousand tongues. But I'll try.. lol

Today, I would like to share my testimony with you all. It's a little personal, but I believe in my heart that God will relieve you and release you of whatever is holding you captive, and simply bring you hope after you finish reading this.

About four months ago, me and my husband got married...Yeah I know some of you are like wah? I'll give you more details about it later, and I have a lot of catching up to do! So bare with me:) lol The night that we got married, I started my monthly and up until March 18, 2014  it stopped. In December I visited the doctor and was told that I had lumps in my right breast and basically said that I needed to visit a professional to be sure that everything is okay. I told my husband about it, and him with such great faith said "Taylor, you're going to be fine, don't worry about it God will take care of you". For some time, that gave me great comfort, until I kept waking up in the middle of the night with aching pains in my breasts. Over that amount of time, the lumps were able to be felt without trying to find them. And, again, I didn't worry about it, and on top of that, the never ending menstrual cycle was a pain and I kept complaining about it to my husband, friends, and even the doctors. I thought it was my body reacting from a recent birth control change, so I called my doctor and they prescribed me with some medicine that was supposed to stop the bleeding. WELL after taking so many pills, it still didn't stop anything.

I literally became burdened by everything that was happening on the inside, not really knowing what was going on with my body. I prayed and asked God to take the pain away and the never ending menstrual. Each time I came to Him, He didn't answer or even told me why it was happening or what was going on. But it was up until a couple of days ago when He revealed all the answers to me with the solution as I was in prayer with my husband.

I pressed in His presence seeking Him consistently until I heard His voice say "lay your hands over your right breast", and without hesitation, I did it. God told me that the enemy was attacking me with stage 4 breast cancer over these past months, but right now I am going to heal you". He said "Since the night you got married I have been healing you and cleansing your body through your blood flow". God said "Declare healing over your body, and speak life over yourself", He said "This was for my glory, you are healed, you are set free, now go out and finish the good work that I have started in you". 

Must I also add that two years prior to this situation, I kept hearing a little voice saying "you're going to have breast cancer",...totally ignoring the signs, not thinking or believing that it was me...

Now after He finally told me what has been going on, explained why I had pain in my breast, why I was on my menstrual for 4 months straight, why the lumps, He explained to me everything that I was not aware of and behind it all He was working on my behalf healing me through the process!

So I was like....."just like that Daddy?...the cancer is gone...I'm healed?..."

I was completely surprised and would never think that something like that would happen to me. I thought to myself,..."I'm too young for breast cancer...how could...what?" And then God heals me from it...WOW!

When I tell you that God is good...there is no other words to describe the emotion and the passion that drove me to step into another dimension of worship, to praise Him for gracing me with life abundantly, gracing me with a chance to finish out His plans for me! Stage 4 breast cancer is a serious disease that many women are yet still battling with,..and just like that God has me to walk away from it? I am still astounded by the timing, because it could have been a 4 year long process healing while battling with Breast cancer, but instead He blessed me to be healed in 4 months..even with my complaining??? 

How many of you have a "should have been" or "could have been" moment?

Because just like, it should have been Barabbas, it should have been me, it could have been me, I could have died, I shouldn't have lived, I should be on chemotherapy right now, I could have had surgery, I should have, because of the filth, because of my fault, because of my dirtiness, and yet still Jesus died, He decided to let me go, He paid the price, by His stripes I am healed, God let me live, He healed me instantly without a doctor, without a knife, without having to fight, no stress, He didn't put anymore on me that I could bare, God showed me His glory, He embraced me with His glory, He showed me He cared, He loves me, He chose me, I am healed, free from any disease!

I began to think wow, why would God do that for me, why would He heal me from the potential of being stricken down by stage 4 cancer, why would He do that for me? Why did He stop it before it could have gotten worse? I have nothing, I sin!! I am yet still in shock! 

Sometimes we feel like we aren't worthy of instant healing, a calling, a gift, a blessing or even a relationship with Him,..but God said you ARE worthy, I literally felt like the woman with the issue of blood...

Luke 8:43:48

 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

We are worthy of His goodness, not because we deserve it or because we are good, but because HE is good, because HE is loving, because HE is kind. 

I know that many may not be able to comprehend or even grasp the intensity of this situation. The enemy had a plan to destroy me, but just like Job, God said you can try and take everything else and kill everything around him,but the enemy couldn't lay a finger on Job, he couldn't kill him. One thing that the enemy must have forgotten is that, God protects His children, in other words, God doesn't play when it comes to His kids! The enemy can't touch what he doesn't own, he may own the world, but I am not of this world, I am God's, I am His alone!

No matter what you're going through, no matter how confusing it may seem, remember that God is in control, trust Him, trust that He is still working on your behalf, healing you, blessing you, working out a miracle for you and strengthening you! His eyes never left you, even if He doesn't answer you right away, trust that His divine will for you life will work out for you good. Whatever you do, don't complain about your circumstance, don't complain about your situation, don't complain about anything that is causing you pain, instead give thanks to God for the good that is about to take place, give thanks to God for the miracle that He is about to release to you, everything that we go through is ultimately for His glory, we were born with purpose, so let your situation remain just that, purpose,! Even though we may not understand the reasoning behind the pain, because in that God has a plan to heal you, to rescue you, to love you, to bless you and to keep you! God is an on-time God, He may not come when you want Him to, but He surely comes right when you need Him to, He is still there in the mist watching over you, so don't give up on Him in this season, because just like Jesus died on the cross and never looked back or hesitated to die for our sins, God will NEVER give up on you!

Even if it is cancer, don't give up, stay on your knees, lay hands on yourself and declare healing, believe that you can receive your healing today without going to the doctor! God is the doctor, He is the solution! The impossible is God's chance to work a miracle out on your behalf. Be patient, this walk isn't going to be easy, but you are a winner in the end, Jesus already defeated the enemy, so keep your peace and speak life! This situation really changed my mindset, and my outlook on who God is. He is too good for me to even look back! If you don't know Him, just taste and see that the Lord is good, He loves you too, He wants to heal you too, stop running, just believe and everything that has been burdening you will be taken away "just like that" because of who He is!

P.S.
Ladies, be sure to get a mammogram regularly so that you aware of what is going on in your body...don't wait until the last minute to make those decisions. It is important to God that you maintain a healthy lifestyle physically and spiritually, so make a habit of staying on top of these things.

Take care of yourself

God Can Turn Broken Pieces into Masterpieces

Everything that has gone on in your life thus far, no matter the extremity, is truly valuable, and to be remembered only as a stepping stone through grace towards your bright destiny. Although it may be difficult to understand, your testimony is valuable and supports the purpose and calling that God has claimed over your life. When your father left you when you were just a little girl, it was as if he was rejecting you as his child, and you felt unwanted, you felt unloved, you were broken, it hurt and now you unconsciously reject men in your life now. What about the time when you were sexually abused, you felt attacked, sick to your stomach, useless, hurt, scared, and restless. No matter the situation, your life is a physical map that God wants to use to help someone else. At times, we are selfish, and would rather not share our trials and tribulations, sometimes we'd rather not face the same heart-breaking past. But with release, comes deliverance, and with deliverance comes healing. By sharing your reality, it will not only heal you from that disaster, but will save another. It will bring unspeakable comfort to another person, for them just to know that everything will be okay and that all things, no matter the extent, works together for the good of those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:28). God needs you, and someone else out there does too. Don't allow the enemy to silence your voice that will bring healing to the nations. But allow God to speak life through you to birth out life into others. I know you're scared, and I know that it's hard, but here comes selflessness, here comes that love that God is commanding us to give and express to others.

Regardless of how embarrassed we may feel, our healing and restoration comes along during the process. And you say to God, "I am not strong enough to reveal and express my past".....

And not only that, but He says that you can do ALL things through Him who gives you strength. When you can't speak, He will speak for you, when you can't pray, He will pray for you, when you can't go on any longer, He will pick you up and carry you to your destination. Sometimes we blame God for our circumstance, and at times we even question His Will. Sometimes we even walk away from Him because of the hurt, and we also force ourselves to think that God was never there or He should have prevented the situation from happening.  But in all actuality sis, God was there the whole time, He said that He will never leave you nor forsake you and when you walk away He will still be in the same spot you left Him WAITING for you to turn back. He loves you and doesn't want you to hurt, He wants you to find peace and love in Him. I know this sounds cliche' but no matter what we just have to trust Him through it all and at times it may be difficult to trust an invisible God, but through your faith in Him you will prosper and peace will remain with you! God will sometimes place you in an impossible situation so that he can show you that he can make the impossible possible!

If everything was so perfect, would we even need a God to come and rescue us? If we have no purpose, what is the point of being here? If their is no test, then where will your testimony be? If their was no trial then what kind of conversations will you have with others?... what kind of burgers do you like? When you speak, and every time you speak, fruit should flow off of your tongue to plant into others, not burgers;) But in the same way, there are those who may not go through pain, because all of us are yet still born with purpose.

Most of the time, God is not the cause for bad things that surface in our lives and sometimes he will allow certain things to happen, but no matter what He is able to use all circumstances no matter good or bad, for our good if we allow Him. The same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is capable of healing our physical and emotional wounds. And with that, in His infinite wisdom, God uses us to bring comfort, guidance, and healing to others who may have gone through or is currently going through the same challenging circumstance that we have experienced. Don't let your situation bind and break you, but let it build you into the person that God has always ordained, and therefore, predestined you to be. Don't see your past as a weakness, but as a step to make you stronger. Your pain is preparation for your purpose & your struggle is preparation for your purpose! Don't look at the situation, but look at the God who can bring you out of it! He is worthy to be praised for the good that will transpire from your challenges.You are victorious&therefore, others will be victorious!

Everything you have done and been through is valuable and important. In order to be who you are, to know what you know, to be where you are in this moment, you needed to go through what you went through - Iyanla Vanzant

Lovestruck

Song of Solomon 2:7 MSG
Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe-and you're ready

Say you're going on a date, and you're super excited about it because it's been soooo long, too long actually to the point where you have cobwebs on your cell phone from guys not calling and asking you out! So, you get into your finest outfit and wear your favorite shoes to impress him and #turnheads because you feel that "this is the one" ..he must be right? Basically since it's been so long and you feel like you're ready for a relationship and most of all, you're ready for love! So you're finally at the date and things seems to be going great, you actually fall head over heels for the young man, you begin speaking like the Shulamite woman saying ""my lover is like an apple tree in the woods! I enjoy sitting in his shadow;his fruit is sweet to my taste" Songs of Solomon 2:3 NCV

You "fall in love" stunned by his character and physical characteristics, almost lovesick, and this goes on for maybe 6 months.... but let me warn you my Sisters in Christ, there is a time and season for everything, and just because we feel that it is time to release all of our love, time, attention, emotion, and commitment to a person doesn't mean that God is giving the same message.

In all reality, sometimes we know that it's not time, and we maybe we even know that God said that it's not time for all of that yet. But us wanting what we want and doing what we do, we do it anyways and really end up getting hurt or letting our flesh get in the way to the point where we fall into sin and not love but lust.
Here's us: "But I want to feel loved, I want to be in love, I want him to want me, I want to be touched, I want to be held at night, I want to cuddle, I hate being alone, I want this to last forever I'm tired of waiting so I'll just settle for anything at the moment!"

                                                                           NO!
Slow down for a sec and listen to what Daddy is trying to tell you...
God is saying "not yet beloved, let me show you more, let me fix you, he may be the one, but let me prepare you, let me love you, make a commitment to me, love me" The physical power of love outside of marriage can cause you to compromise your spiritual promise of love in your commitment to Christ! There is a time to consummate love, and there is a time to accept God's love..

Above all, feelings of love can create intimacy that overpowers reason. We, as young, excited, and hungry women are too often in a hurry to develop an intimate relationship based on our strong FEELINGS. But "feelings" are not merely enough to support a lasting relationship. I encourage you not to force romance lest the feelings of love grow faster than the commitment needed to make love last! Patiently wait for feelings of love and commitment to develop together. You are too precious to pick up the first thing that looks or seems right, take your time, because God is taking His time with you sis, court him, don't rush into anything, because if he is "the one" he is not going to go anywhere anyways. TRUST&let that fear go!
 "What God has put together, NO man can tear it apart" Mark 10:9 
Meaning that if God has ordained it, NO ONE can contaminate it! Be patient, enjoy this time with the Lord so that you can be made whole, so that you can love Him unconditionally without fault or impurity! Love isn't an emotion, love is trust, love is a choice, love is a commitment, love is sacrifice, love is selflessness, love is submission, love isn't an object but a journey, love is patient, kind, not boastful or proud!

You want to be ready? Let Jesus prepare you for a love that will last forever, meet with the One who is love so that love won't be so complicated or confusing or terrible as people make it seem, love is beautiful, especially in a relationship with someone, however, love is most powerful when the time is right!

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