ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD

Wow...I can't believe it's been over a year since my last post.  So much has happened and taken place since my last post from bad to good.  But even the bad works together with the good for my good, because I love the Lord. 

When I started this journey, or at least when I started documenting this journey, I was at a place where I just had no idea what I was supposed to be doing with my life.  There were a million and one things that I wanted to do, but I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing.  I prayed and I prayed, I waited and waited, I searched and searched, but I was coming up empty.  But God had a plan for me, as He always had, I just had to seek Him first, and there is where I would find the key to my future.  I'm not saying that I've reached my destiny just yet, but I know that I am well on my way, and on the right path.

Now let's go back for a moment.  I'm not proud of all the things I've done in my past or have had to go through, but every trial that I've overcome is what helped make me who I am today, and if I can motivate and inspire others to overcome with my testimony, then I have done my due diligence. 

So let's get to my testimony.

I believe my last post was November of 2011.  A few months after that, my husband and I got into a big fight.  I won't go into detail, but there was some physical assault on both parts.  The police got involved and I ended up getting arrested.  I served two days in jail (more like one) and I ended up being on probation for 1 year, having to pay out a whole lot of money, attending a battery intervention class, and now my perfect record is blemished.  So I spent the whole year of 2012 basically serving time for a stupid mistake that could have been avoided.  I know you're probably thinking, "where is the victory in this story?"  Well, I'm not finished yet.  So after getting out of jail (ugh, I hate how that sounds), my husband and I were separated for a short while, then we reconciled.  Or at least we tried to.  We went through alot, and in our turmoil, God still had a plan for us. 

We had stopped going to church for about a year leading up to this incident, and therefore, we had stopped tithing and praying, and living for God like we should. I believe it was about March of 2012, when I was contacted by one of our brothers in Christ from our previous church.  He said he and his wife had branched off and started their own ministry.  I had been praying for God to direct us to a church home where we could get the unadulturated Word, guidance, love and direction that we needed, and where we could be an active part of ministry, growing with the church, having that feeling of belonging.  Let me just say, that God will give you exactly what you pray for, especially when it lines up with His will for your life.

When we met with them, we pretty much jumped in head first.  I already knew before we had our meeting, that I wanted to be a part of their ministry.  Because we had known them, and observed their lives, we already knew that they were a man and woman of God and great leaders, worthy of being followed.  They didn't just talk the talk, they walked the walk.  However, the enemy was still busy, still trying to tear our family apart.  At the time, my husband was still dealing with a drug addiction, yes I said drug addiction.  And I had just gotten to the point where I was fed up and really tired of all the drama that came along with that territory.  I asked my first lady/Co-Pastor to pray for us because, we had separated since our meeting with them.  And she said that she and her husband, our Pastor, wanted to meet with us, and we would go through marriage boot camp.  It was just that.  But it helped tremendously.  After our first counseling session with them, my husband stopped doing drugs, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, cold turkey, and he has not gone back to it since.  I praise God for his deliverance because there is nothing too hard for God.

Since then, we have been under the teachings and guidance of our Pastors, and we play so many major roles in the ministry from being Ministers in training, to Praise team leader, to Tech team leader, to being on the Advisory Board, to Treasurer, to Secretary, we've pretty much done it all or are doing it all.  But I love every moment of it.  Although, I'm busy and I'm always at church, it doesn't bother me at all, because I love serving God and the people of God, and in God I have found my true purpose; to serve.  If nothing else, I know that I am here to love the Lord God with all of my heart, mind, body and soul, love all people and serve God and the Kingdom of God.  Anything else, is extra; a bonus; a plus.  God sees the bigger picture, while we are only focused on our own fulfillment, He is focused on the fulfillment of everyone, for His glory.

Through all of the bad that took place in such a short time, it has directed me, and not only myself, but my family as well, to our purpose.  Even our children are being used in the ministry and to glorify the Kingdom of God, and it won't be long before they are totally living for God and desiring His will for their lives as well.  My teenagers are currently on the Tech team, working the media and technical  things around the church, and they actually enjoy it and look forward to coming to church.  I'm so proud of them.  And my baby boy or middle child, depending on how you look at it, will be singing as he loves to sing, like his mom. 

When you acknowledge God in all your ways, He will direct your paths (Prov 3:6).  God is so awesome, He is just so amazing.  If you seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything that you desire and need will be added unto you (Mat 6:33).  There is no need to go soul searching when you let God lead you, He will provide everything you need.  If you're searching to find your true purpose in life, then there is something inside of you that says, "there's got to be more to life", and you're right, there is more, and His name is Jesus Christ, the King of kings, the LORD of lords, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, He's your HEALER, your PROVIDER, your REDEEMER, your LAWYER, your HELPER, your CONFIDANT, your SAVIOR, your GUIDE.  All that you need Him to be, HE IS.  He is the I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14).  If you don't know the Lord, I pray that you will get to know Him, repent of your sins and ask Him to come into your life and show you the way.  He will do it.  Being a Believer is no secret society that is only open to a select few people.  God is for everyone, no matter what you've done, no matter where you come from, or where you've been.  God will accept you as you are, and only He can make you clean and righteous with the blood of Jesus Christ. 

I pray that this post has blessed you and answered some questions that you may have had concerning your purpose in life.  I pray that you will consider the nuggets that I've shared and began to seek God, and in Him you will find your TRUE purpose. 

Father, I pray for the reader of this message today.  I ask that you come into their life and reveal your purpose for them.  Let them know that every creature that you've made has a purpose, and every purpose is unique.  Lord, I ask that you search the depths of their heart, and lead them in the way that they should go.  Lord, you said that it is your love that draws men to repentance, and I ask that you make your love for them evident in their life.  You said that all things work together for the good of those who love you and are called according to YOUR purpose, so it doesn't matter what their current situation looks like, and it doesn't matter what their past looks like, it's all working out for their good, in Jesus name, Amen.

Don't Be Afraid to Take Chances

I was having a conversation with a co-worker of mine this morning, as we were coming from breakfast, about our job and she was telling me that she hated that she didn't get a chance to sign up for the "fun committee" this year.  I asked what that was, and she told me that it was a committee that planned and organized all of the fun activities that we have at work.  And immediately I had an idea, that she would be a great event planner.  She's very bubbly, and fun, and she has a very colorful personality, and she loves to do creative things like that, so I expressed this to her, that she should look into doing it.  But she wasn't very enthused about seriously considering it as a business, another career, or even as a hobby.  Her setback was that she was afraid.

Now, this woman is about 5'11, if not over 6 feet tall, very outgoing, and meets no stranger.  And she was afraid of venturing out to do something that she is great at.  She could be missing her calling, her purpose in life, because she's too afraid to take a chance.

Often times, we let fear keep us from our destiny; the fear of the unknown and fear of failure.  But God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).  God doesn't want us to have fear in our hearts, because fear is just a trick of the enemy to keep us from carrying out what God wants us to do.

Do you know what FEAR stands for?  False Evidence Appearing Real.  That's it. 

Many of us miss out on our blessings because we are afraid of failing, but failure is a good thing.  I know you're probably asking yourself, why?  Well, failure makes us stronger, failure is a guide, and failure is a great teacher. 

Going through trials and making mistakes is a part of life, that you can't get around, unless you do absolutely nothing for the entirety of your life.  How you respond to failure is what will help you in your quest to find your true purpose in life.  If you're smart, you'll learn from your past mistakes, gaining knowledge on what to do or not to do if faced with the situation again; therefore, making decisions based on past experience, that guide you down paths leading to your destiny.

I've always been a pretty adventurous person.  I love to try new things, and even though I may be a little apprehensive sometimes, I'll still do it, just to see where it will take me.  Especially, if I develop an interest in something or someone, I can't rest until I try it out, and if it doesn't work out, I just move on to the next project, maybe that wasn't for me. 

So don't be afraid to try things, if you want that job, go get it, it doesn't matter if you're the least qualified.  The favor of God upon you is all you need.  God said, "the last shall be first and the first shall be last (Matt 20:16).  Favor is when God blesses you with something that you didn't deserve upon any doing of your own, but He blesses you with it anyway, because His favor is upon you.

I pray that this message was a blessing to you today.  Thank you for reading.  In Jesus' name, be blessed.

Believe In Yourself

I know that you've probably heard this about a million times in your lifetime, but it's true, and it works. When you believe in something, it causes you to act on what you believe, therefore producing results that line up with what you believe. For instance, if you believe that exercise is good for you and will help you to lose weight, you will begin to exercise, thus producing the results that you anticipated.

Faith works the same way. It's a muscle that has to be trained and worked out, in order for it to work for you. If you believe that you can do something, you will do it, and there is nothing that anyone can say or do to convince you otherwise.


But you might say, "I don't have what it takes," or "I just can't do it." But God says, "You shall have whatsoever you say." (Mark 11:23) You have the power to speak life or death, prosperity or destruction, good or bad, it all lies in your tongue (Proverbs 18:21).  God says that if you believe and don't doubt, you can have whatever your heart desires.


It's important that we believe in ourselves, but more importantly believe in the immeasurable power of God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ever ask or think, according to the power that works itself in us (Eph 3:20).


Stop telling yourself what you can't do, and start telling yourself what you can and will do. Even if you don't believe in God, or believe that your words have life, what you say, whether it be good or bad, will still manifest itself in your life. So speak life, not death into your situation, into your family, and into yourself.

No Matter What It Looks Like, Never Give Up

Often times I've found myself giving up on things, and somtimes even people because of what it looks like on the outside, or what it looks like right now.  Or maybe not giving up on them, but just setting them aside for now, because it was too hard or taking too long.  I have mentioned before that I am a very, very impatient individual.  I want things when I want them, which is usually right now.

But I've realized that life doesn't quite work that way.  Some things can be obtainable right now, but some things take time.  I'm also learning that good things come to those who wait, and special orders take time.  See, when I get it in my head that I want something, it's always a certain way that I want it.  I'm very particular, and very detailed about things.  So I must understand, that in order to get what I want, the way that I want it, it's going to take time.

Maybe there's something that I need to do first, before God will give it to me or reveal it to me.  Maybe I need to mature more, or get to a certain place, emotionally, physically, mentally, and/or spiritually, like Abram in Genesis Chapter 13.  We don't know God's plans for our lives, but He does.  That's why He instructs us to seek Him with all our hearts, because He knows His thoughts toward us; they are of peace, to give us an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11-13). 

We can't just look at a situation or an obstacle and want to run away from it, because we may never reach our blessing.  And you're going to face it over and over again until you overcome it. 

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.  When you know that you have God in your corner, you can look at the glass half full, not half empty.  Because whatever the devil tries to put in front of you to stop you from reaching your destiny, your God given purpose in life, God is the one who has full control, and can turn it completely around to work in your favor, but you have to give Him that control first.

Never let what a situation looks like stop you from going after your dreams, your passion, your purpose in life.  Try and try again, and again, and again.  God said that He would not cut off our expectations (Proverbs 23:18), and our God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind (Numbers 23:19).

Don't Let Your Vision Die

This title came to me when I was listening to a sermon on the radio this morning, on my way to work.  The Pastor was preaching about Christian parenting and he was talking about how God wants us as Christians to teach our children to be Godly.  I than began to think of how this was my vision for my family before my husband and I got married.  However, that is not how it has turned out to be, and along the way, my husband and I both have lost sight of what we were called to do.  With all of the obstacles that he and I have faced, my vision of being a Godly wife and mother, and teaching my children the way of the LORD, had started to whither away.

And I realized that I am letting my vision die.

Once you start to lose sight of something, it becomes an out of sight, out of mind situation.  Then your actions are no longer in line with what you orginally set out to do.  No matter how long it takes, how hard it is, how far away it is, or how much effort you have to put forth, you should never let anything detour you from your mission.

Even in trying to discover my purpose and calling, I lost sight of what my first calling is now, and that's to be a wife and a mother.  To love and honor my husband, and train my children in the way that they should go.  The enemy had me so distracted, that I had forgotten about this.  Well, not forgotten, because it's embedded in my heart, but it became less and less important to me, the more I stacked other things at the top of my life's to-do list.

Noone should ever seek their purpose, without seeking the purpose of God first.  I will be the first to admit, that I am guilty of this, and I knew better.  But I've always been stubborn, and God knew that.  So He let me run around in circles trying to "find myself", because He knew I'd be back eventually.  God does have a sense of humor.

 I believe this is why I've been so lost and unfulfilled.  Because I had begun to let my vision deteriorate.  Before my husband and I got married, all I wanted was for the LORD to use us; to make us an example for other couples; to use us to glorify His name.  But when the crap started to hit the fan, all I wanted to do was run.  I forgot all about what I had asked God to do, and the passion I had for family, because this just could not have been in God's plans.  There must have been some sort of mistake.  He couldn't have possibly meant for me to endure so much in so little time.  I was starting to feel like Job; like I was being tested at every angle, but unlike Job I was failing every test.  I never blamed God, but I had a hard time seeing the glory in any of it.  But I do have hope in this: after Job went through his test, God blessed him 2 times over.

That's why I have decided to breathe new life into my dream of having a family that will glorify God.  I have to get back to putting God first and inviting Him into everything I do.  Like I get so often because I'm very impatient, I got tired of waiting on the LORD and I tried to go off on my own without God, but I'm a great example that that never works.  You will only get so far.  And nothing is more important than me and my family being able to enter into the Kingdom of God when that time comes. 

Enjoy the Journey

So for the longest time, I let the fact that I was not doing, or even pursuing my true purpose in life, bother me.  So much, that I had forgotten to take time out to enjoy life.   Everything we go through in life, that leads up to where we finally end up, is what makes us who we are.  The trials, the mistakes, the lessons learned, the laughs, the cries, the heartbreaks, and the joyful moments, all shape and mold our character.

I was so fixated on finding my destiny, that I was missing the beautiful scenery around me on the way. 

Recently, I went on a Western Caribbean Cruise with my mom, sister and aunt, and I couldn't be more happier that I went.  I wasn't going to go, because I didn't want to leave my husband and kids behind, and I didn't want to miss a whole week of work, but I decided to go anyway, and I am so glad that I did.  I needed that break and the relaxation that I got while away from my everyday life.

I was so busy being a wife, mother, provider, student, and trying to find myself that I was losing myself.  That trip was what I needed to refesh and get back in the game.  Had I not gone, I'd probably still be just as confused and frustrated as I was before, if not more.

So don't forget to "stop and smell the roses", on your journey to finding your purpose, because what you're looking for might be hidden in the bushes.

While on the cruise, we took many, many pictures, because my sister is a picture freak.  All of the professional cruise pics that were taken on the ship of me, came out beautifully, and most of the ones that we took on our own.  My aunt pointed out that when we got back home that I should look into Plus Size Modeling.  This is something that I had planned to do in the near future, but after dropping some pounds, just for my own comfort.    I'm very photogenic, and I always have been, even when I'm not feeling well I take awesome photos, professionally and for fun.

I love taking pictures and posing, and seeing the beautiful outcome, and you already know I love fashion, so this is something that I could see myself doing on a daily basis, and being completely happy doing it. 

I will definitely look more into this now that someone else has pointed out my aptitude for being photographed.  I've had someone mention it to me when I was in high school, but I never seriously considered modeling until adulthood. 

See what I mean, by stopping and smelling the roses, what you're looking for could be right under your nose. 

I love how God works.  We spend our lives trying to find things on our own, or fix things on our own, when He's holding his hand out right in our face with exactly what we need, but we're too busy going around Him to see it. 

Passion for Fashion

So since I've been on this quest to find my purpose, I have returned to my passion for fashion.  When I was a teenager, I developed a strong interest in the fashion industry.  I would sketch clothes for men and women, and I considered going to school for it.  However, I never did. 

So I've returned to my interest in fashion, and I know now that there are more things that one can do in the industry, besides designing, which is what I originally wanted to do, and I still do eventually.  But for now, I will just become a retailer of someone else's designs.

My brother and I will be going into business soon, opening our own shoe store.  I realized that I love fashion, no matter what shape it comes in.  Since I don't have the necessary tools to start making and selling my own designs, I can sell someone else's.

I love, love, love shoes, and I know many women who can relate, and will purchase from me because of the different styles that I have that noone else does.  I couldn't be happier that I get to embark on one of my passions, and if all goes well, I may find my place in the fashion world after all.

I will keep you posted on the upcoming store and website.