Never Satisfied

"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty, or want; for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power." Phillipians 4:11-13

It has become painfully obvious that the more and more we are blessed with, the more we want. I find myself learning from the lessons that I teach my own children. When they gripe about having to eat certain foods, I explain to them that there are starving children somewhere that would love to have this squash! Or when they wake up in the morning yelling at each other I remind them that someone did not wake up this morning.

I am guilty of having this same mentality as my children. I can be pretty vain at times. It goes a little like this: "I want another car." "I want a newer home." "I need a better day planner." "I need another ink pen (lol Nik)." These are all temporary and materialistic things. God gets no glory in this. I had to come to a resolve within myself today and say if I continue to look in the world's eye at things, then I will never be satisfied in this life. It doesn't matter about the kind of car we drive or the kind of house we live in. As long as those basic needs are met then we should be overjoyed!

Proverbs 31:30 tells us that "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. It doesn't matter about the type clothes we are wearing; it's about how we carry out God's work. There is nothing wrong with looking nice and having nice things, but that should not be our focus. Those things should not be our idols. Things should not take precedence over God.

Instead of worrying about what you are going to buy, we should be saying how can I bless someone else and how can God get the glory.

Peace and Love

FEAR

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. Isaiah 41: 10


There are limitless things that we can fear every day in life. From the economic "crisis", our everyday family lives, to our health. We live in a world of uncertainty. Fear seems almost unavoidable and an ever present part of our every day lives. I have to coach myself through eliminating fear daily. I am a fragile bird and sometimes the smallest things can work me into a frenzy.

One thing I have realized is that we have to focus on life one day at a time. Most of the things we fear are things that will never happen to us. This is exactly where the devil wants us. Fear keeps us in bondage and away from God's purpose for our lives. This is the direct opposite of what God has planned for us. In 2 Timothy 1:7 it tells us, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." If we focus on his word and let it shine through us, it will eliminate the desire to fear because we are trusting in God.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18

Peace and Love.

Act as If

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21

I recently read an article on Michael J. Fox. One part that struck a chord in me was when asked about his battle with multiple sclerosis and how he deals with it from day to day he said, "Act as if it's the way you want to be , and it'll eventually morph into that." He struggles everyday with this disease and he said he just acts as if.

We have the power to transform our situations through God. Things may seem bleak and the positive is outweighed by the negative, but GOD! God can take the worst situations and turn them into something bigger and better than it was before. We have to believe and trust him until it happens. It's real easy to give up, anybody can do that. It takes a strong person to overcome adversity through God's strength. We must rely on his strength not our own because we are not capable of handling God's problems with our will. Our will will fail every time.

Act as if you are going to get that new job you've been desiring, act as if your marriage will get better, act as if you will get accepted into school, act as if your relationship with the Lord will get stronger, act as if you are a blessing to others, act as if you are healthy, act as if you'll have the baby that you desire, act as if and watch God turn things around. Allow your faith to change your life.

Peace and Love.

Expectations

This could be a pretty short blog. The beginning line should say: Expectations: Don't have any. The End

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." Psalm 62:5

So many times we have expectations of people that are often unmet or unrealistic. When these expectations don't work out the way we think they ought, we walk away disappointed, broken, and lost. The only expectations we should have are those from God. He is the only one who can provide us with everything we need (he knows what those needs are even when we don't have a clue). He is the only one who knows us completely. He is the only one who never disappoints. God knows what's best for each and every one of us. Man cannot do that. With the best of intentions, man will disappoint. If we walk into situations with no expectations, then there is no reason to feel disappointed or go through the pain. If we put our all into God, he will make it alright anyway!

He makes it alright because as he tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end." He already has a blueprint for us all. He has it all mapped out and it is that of PEACE not EVIL! How many people on this Earth do you know that could make a promise like that? Probably not one.

I remember being a child and every year my parents would promise me that I was having a birthday party at the skating rink. My hopes would be up every single year, but the birthday party never came. I had that same expectation year after year after year, and every year I had to relive the disappointment of it not happening. Most children don't have discerning spirits. They automatically trust adults because that's all they know. Children are innocent. We as adults have to make sure that we don't scar our children by setting expectations and not fulfilling them. This tears away at their innocence and leaves a sense of distrust.

As an adult, I would have expectations for my husband giving me a gift that I had thrown hints about all year for my birthday. Well one year I told him that he really should listen to the things that I say and he could pick up on what I may like or not like. Well, I made the comment one day that I needed a cd case for over my car visor. Needless to say, my birthday rolled around and I had been anticipating a really great gift, and when he pulled up at my job I was about to explode with excitement. He came in and he handed me a bag which I tore open. It was a CD CASE! He was really excited and I looked in amazement as if to say, "You can't be serious!" He went on to explain that he heard me say that I needed a cd case for my car and he was really trying to listen to me. Even after he left I shook that thing just hoping some money would fall out. We still laugh about that gift. Well, I probably do more laughing because he was really sincere. The point is even in his most sincerest moment, my expectations were way above where he was. Had I had no expectations, then the gift would have been openly accepted just as it was given.

We live and we learn. Open your heart and mind to God and he will always meet every expectation, and will teach you how to live a peaceful life.


"Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5

Unlimited Resources

"The problem is not our sin. Jesus already died for our sins on the cross. The problem is our utilizing the resources that God has put in place for us to use and live this life according to his will. We cannot seek the kingdom because we don't know the king."

As I read this passage from a pastor's sermon, I immediately fell convicted. I often get caught up in the sins that I have committed and beat myself up through pity parties and self-doubt. This changes nothing. If anything, it only magnifies whatever problems I am facing. Christ has already died for our sins so why do we harp on them? As I quoted from above, the problem is we don't use God's resources to move forward away from our sins to a better life. For whatever reason, we want to rely on our own strength.

The resources are limitless that God provides for us. God promises us so many different things. Those resources could be prayer, meditations with the Lord, speaking the word of God with others, and scripture. The word of God is the key to life. I am so thankful for his word. It always picks me up out of the pit of dispair and places me back on solid ground. We can't merely go through the motions, but the word of God has to become a part of each and every one of us. It has to be a lifestyle. The following scriptures have become my resources:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thing own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me: Thy mercy, Oh Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the works of your own hands." Psalm 138:8

"So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in they sight. Oh Lord, you are my strength and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14

Tap into your precious resources and walk into the life that God has ordained for you.

Peace and Love.

Jada

I love me some Jada Pinkett-Smith. I have always admired her beauty and style. As she has evolved in her mega-stardom, I admire her work ethic and how she cares for her family. I love other people's stories, especially for inspiration. She recently did an article with Redbook and she talked about how she has had to put her life on hold for her children. She had to make very painful sacrifices, but knew her kids were way more important. Here are a few quotes that I was truly moved by and wanted to pass them along to all of my blogger friends!

"What you're willing to sacrifice is the measurement of how you love."
(ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW! WOW! WOW! What a powerful statement!!!)

"At the end of the day, when I'm old and gray and no one really cares [about me] anymore, I'll still have my children to worry about, and that's what it's all about, right?"

When asked about what she thought when people say she exploits her children: "If anything happens to my children, I give all those people judging me the right to burn me at the stake. I'll deserve it."

"I don't think women have to make a sacrifice. They have a choice --always. But here's the deal: You ask yourself, What can you live with? And for me, that question was easy to answer. But good mothers make all kinds of choices. Making a decision that might sound selfish does not make a woman a bad mother."

When asked what's something every woman should do for herself: "I wish I knew. I can tell you what this woman needs to do. Even if it's just 30 minutes a day, or on the weekend, I tell my kids, "I will be nowhere to be found because I need some Mommy time." Do whatever rejuvenates you. It might be a cooking class, cocktails with the girls, or just private time with the hubby. We all have our moments where we run out of steam because we've given everything we've got to everyone else. Whoever decided that was a good thing? It's not. Everyone needs to refuel.

So I know that I have quoted the whole article just about, but I was very enlightened. Although she is HUGE, she still has the same problems and issues that we deal with. She came from the trenches. She's a mom. She's a wife. She gets tired. She has to make sacrifices. She's human.

Peace and Love.

Simple Reminders

Yesterday as we were riding down the road my daughter said, "Mama, isn't there a scripture that says if you pray about something and then you don't do anything to help it out then that's not good." I said, "Yes. Faith without works is dead is what the scripture says." Although she was probably just having casual conversation, I was truly blessed by this statement. So often we forget the little things that God promises. I had just been wrestling with an issue and was immediately convicted when I had this conversation. I am so glad for the simple reminders in life that give us hope and get us back on the right course.

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2: 14-17.

Wow. This scripture passage is so powerful. You know we all can talk up a great game, but can we truly carry it out. Not only must we believe in God's promises and words, but we have to actually do something by acting on that faith. I like one of Joyce Meyer's quotes that she often uses: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian no more than sitting in a garage makes you a car." We have to put Christianity into play. We must pray, read our bibles, and do those things that we pray and read about. This is when God will start moving and shaking in our lives. It's one thing to want to be saved, but it's another to actually live it.

I use to have a friend that would say, "I'm believing God for this car. I prayed about it and I have faith about it. I'm getting this car because God is going to give it to me." I was like, "That's great and all, BUT you don't have a job. How will you pay for it? You don't have good credit, how will you get it?" These are the types of things that come to mind when I read this scripture in James. Now if they were working and saving for that car then God would probably provide. One other one that I am so guilty of is when I say that I want to be healthy and I pray for health and strength and a stress free life, but I don't let the McDonald's french fries go or the Mountain Dew's and then I don't do not one exercise! How can I expect the Lord to make me healthy if I am engaging in an unhealthy lifestyle?!

Let's put some works with all of this faith we have. God will provide. We just have to be willing.

Peace and Love.

Twelve

Twelve is a very fascinating number. It has very significant meanings for a varying amount of people. Twelve is the number of disciples Jesus had. Twelve was the number of tribes in Israel. There are twelve months in a year. There are twelve hours on a clock. In high school, we have twelve years to complete before we graduate. A least known fact is that there are twelve tones on a musical scale. Finally, one of my favorites, there are twelve days of Christmas!

The wonderful significance that twelve plays in my life is that today marks my twelfth year of being married to my husband! TWELVE YEARS y'all! I sometimes can't believe that it has been that long! It seems like only yesterday I was in the gym playing basketball and we shared a conversation. Not knowing in a few short months, that conversation would lead to us making a decision to spend the rest of our lives together.

Our days have been good, bad, and some very ugly at times, but through it all, we have remained a united front. We could have folded, threw in the towel, waved that little white flag, but we did not. We hung on in there and toughed it out. A lot of people look at us and say, "Oh! I want a relationship like yours!" I love my husband and my marriage, but never try and model yourself after someone else. We have the same issues as the next couple. The thing that makes the difference in our marriage is that from the beginning, God has been our foundation. If God is your foundation, no trick from the devil will ever destroy your marriage. You have to start and finish with God!

I remember standing in the hall in March of 1999 in my little apartment and my husband grabbed both of my hands and said, "Do you want to be born again?" Of course I was terrified thinking, "I'm only 21!" For some odd reason when we are young we seem to think that if we give our lives to Christ then we are giving up everything and our fun lives are over. In a sense we are giving up everything, but our lives are just beginning. That day, I was born again. I have my husband to thank for such a wonderful gift!

We have not always done everything right, we have messed up, caused the other pain and what have you. But through it all, it always came right back to God. We humbled ourselves to him. He pulled us out of our mess and redirected our paths. I am so thankful to know him. In and of myself, I am a hot mess! I am broken! I am worn! But through GOD, I am unstoppable!

My husband has been my provider, my best friend, my doctor, my counselor, my confidant, my cheerleader, my voice of reason, my help! He believed in me when I did not believe in myself. I prayed for God to bless me with the man he saw fit and he did. He is showing me everyday how to be a better wife. For that I am thankful.

Happy Anniversary, Mr. Lockhart! I look forward to many, many, many more years with you.I LOVE YOU!

A Woman's Worth

Oftentimes I feel as if my efforts as a woman in general are overlooked. Whether it be in my role as wife, mother, teacher, daughter, sister, friend, whatever. It gets really frustrating at times, but what God has taught me and reaffirmed many times over is that it doesn't matter. He charges me to do a thing in each of my respective roles, and as long as I am doing what HE has charged me to do, then there is nothing to worry about. It doesn't matter what others do, think, or feel as long as I am handling me the way God sees fit.

What I have found is that I consume myself with things outside of me that I cannot control and this in turn affects the things that I can control and they go lacking! Ugh! But the beauty of it all is that I am growing, I am realizing, and I am learning how to do something about. Life is good. God is good. Through him I will NEVER fail, WE will NEVER fail.

Tahiti

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? ... So use every part of your body to give glory back to God..." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20


So my bff tells me last week that she's going to Tahiti this Friday. I'm like, "What tha??!! Why am I just finding out about a trip to TAHITI! Take me!" So after I calmed down she explained that she wasn't literally going to Tahiti. She would figuratively be there. Starting today she will be locked in her house and she will only call who she wants to call when she wants to call (I best be in that number!. She will basically be doing absolutely nothing. Sounds like my kind of trip!

"I'm going to Tahiti" has become our thing. I was sitting on my mom's patio last night enjoying the peace and quiet, thinking, relaxing when my five year old daughter comes to the door and screams, "MAMA!" I quickly say, "NO! I am in Tahiti!" She quickly ran away as if to say, "excuse me"! It was so funny, but I realized that we all have to go to Tahiti every now and again. We need those mini mental breaks to stay sane and keep it moving.

I often write about how we give so much, but we don't take care of ourselves and we are broke down, tired, and what have you. Our body is God's temple. Let's treat it as such. Go ahead. Plan your next trip to Tahiti!

Peace and Love

Repost

I am always immensely blessed by my daily devotionals each morning from Os Hillman over at TGIF. A couple of years ago when I was into facebook, I discovered this site through The Proverbs 31 Woman page. I feel that God speaks to me through TGIF because everything is always so relevant! I hope that you enjoy! You may also receive these daily blessings by subscribing via email from the site. I hope you enjoy!

The Consequences of Faith
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, July 07 2011

"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:4

If you commit yourself to live for Christ in and through your work life, there will be a consequence of faith. You could avoid much hardship and take a much easier road in life if you do not choose to live an obedient life of faith in Christ. This is a spiritual law. None of us is excluded from identification with the cross.

When we commit ourselves to fully follow Christ, He begins a "circumcision" process in each of us designed to rid all that is of the world system from our lives. This circumcision is required of every believer. Moses had much preparation from God for His calling to free the people of Israel from Egypt. He spent years in training as a young boy in the family of Pharaoh. He tried to free the people through the flesh by killing an Egyptian. That cost him 40 years in the desert of loneliness and toil before God said he was prepared to free the people from their suffering. God invested much in Moses; however, that preparation was not enough. Experience and preparation had to be mixed with obedience. God required his family to be circumcised. Moses failed to circumcise his son before returning to Egypt. This was so important to God that He was going to kill Moses if he did not uphold his commandment. "At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him" (Ex. 4:24).

Are there any areas in your life that have not come under the lordship of Christ? Is there any lack of obedience that will prevent you from being used fully by the Lord? Ask Him to show you this today so that you might be fully used of God.

WWJD

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3

Do you remember the "What Would Jesus Do" fad. There were t-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers, etc. If you were caught in a bad situation or make a goof, someone would say, "What would Jesus do?" I felt convicted if I had that bracelet on and did something that was out of the will of God. It was a great idea, but like a lot of things, it was a fad. It was popular just as long as everyone was on the bandwagon then it was off to the next big thing.

The bigger picture is that Jesus is not a fad. He is here and here to stay. We have to take on the mindset of Christ as a part of our everyday lives. Can we overcome the circumstances of this life? Can we eliminate our worries and fears? Can we have total trust in God? The answer is, YES! We can. If we keep our eyes on Jesus.

Sometimes we forget where our strength lies and we start to rely on ourselves (and we already know how much that will get you). We have to stay in constant communion with the Lord. Whether it be through prayer, reading the bible, or meditating on scripture. We have to keep our hearts and minds stayed on HIM and ask yourself, "WWJD?"


Peace and Love

Nature

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver


I am like the most country city girl I know, and the most city country girl I know. I enjoy being versatile and adaptable to different environments. One of the things in this life that brings me solace, is riding down country roads and admiring God's work. As I drove from the Delta of Mississippi to Jackson, I just found an unspeakable peace. It takes me to go for drives at times to get away from it all. It is a place where my kids and I enjoy one another, and discover the shapes of the clouds. It provides my husband and I time to catch up, reminisce, and listen to music. It is a place where God and I can communicate and listen to one another. I marvel over his works. He's attentive to my needs.

We all need to take those moments and discover the works of God. Listen to him. Appreciate the small moments in this life that matter the most.

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright." ~Henry David Thoreau

Self-Confidence vs God-Confidence

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30

Self-confidence is defined by Webster's as confidence in oneself and in one's powers and abilities. For so long, I have relied on my own self-confidence which, quite frankly, hasn't amounted to a hill of beans. We may have certain powers and abilities that we can use from day to day, but when it comes with the things of this world and of this life, we must rely on God-confidence. We are limited in what we can see and do.

God is all knowing. He knows all and sees all. He has the power to do anything. Compared to him, we are nothing. I would much rather place my life in God's hands and not my own. This is exactly what he wants us to do. He wants us to give it ALL to HIM because he has the power to make it all right. We should take heart and allow our daily burdens to help us to gain confidence in God. This is exactly what Jesus did. With that mindset, it allows us to focus on serving others. The trials and tribulations of this life gives us the opportunity to see God do the impossible.