Category: Blog

“When you drink water from a cup, it becomes part of you. When water falls on you like rain, it evaporates a few minutes later.

Similarly, thoughts can be consumed or dismissed. Is this thought nourishing? Is this feeling something you should drink? Or is it more like getting caught in the rain?

You’ll always feel the rain, but you don’t have to drink the rain. You can let the thought pass and in a few moments the sun will return. You don’t have to claim everything you feel.”

By James Clear

This is something I ran across recently and found it to be suitable for such a time as this!

There are times when we all may feel overlooked, underappreciated, or down right invisible.  We spend time doing and doing and wondering if what we do matters at all.  Although we realize that good deeds or actions will not take us to heaven, however we do like it when folks let us know that we are SEEN!

During my morning bible study I came across the story of Ruth and Boaz, a very familiar passage to many churchgoers, and others as well.  When Ruth asked Boaz, “How is it that I have found favor in your eyes?” he replied, “It has been reported to me what you did for your mother-in-law.”  This just goes to show you that sometimes what we feel is undervalued or overlooked, may mean the world to others.  There is always somebody looking and placing your name in rooms you haven’t even entered yet.  Never stop doing good even when it doesn’t always come back at the moment, or from the recipient of your good.  God sees all and you will definitely reap what you sow when harvest time arrives.  It has been reported to me!

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Have you ever received a piece of mail that you sent out, but it came back with the words, “Return to Sender – Address Unknown?”  I’m sure we all have had that happen to us.  I’ve even had mail returned where it was sent to a forwarding address and THAT address was unknown.  WOW!

There may be times when you show up in a room where you know that you are going to be uncomfortable, but God has a reason for putting you in that room.  There is something about your energy or your ability to transcend the obvious and get to the necessary!  There are things that will be sent to you by the Universe, and you can’t return them.  They came for a reason and to serve a purpose.

Sometimes God may send you to places with “No Return Address”, because He doesn’t want you to see a way out!  We always want to know what the final outcome will be before we take on certain tasks.  But when you are on an assignment for God there will be many days and nights when you are wondering why was I sent to do this?  Why am I out here in no man’s land trying to help somebody who sometimes doesn’t even want my help?  There are certain assignments on your life that only you can fulfill.

Having “No return address” creates a situation where we MUST face our fear because the letter or the package (that thing you are afraid of), is being delivered to you whether you want it or not.  It’s not gonna be returned and it’s gonna keep showing up until you deal with it!

There are eight steps to consider while traveling the road to success:

• Destination – where are you going? Do you devote time each day towards your destination?
• Driver – Who’s at the steering wheel? How are you going to maintain your energy level and momentum?  Do you have daily routines that keep you pumped and energized?
• Why – If you remember your ‘why’ it will make it easier to stay on course during challenging times. Why are you going in this direction?  Are you motivated and determined?
• Windshield – What is the vision that you see? What will you be leaving behind?
• Tune Ups – What is your life’s philosophy? What does your business stand for or what do you stand for?
• Goals – What will be some of the highlights of your journey? Remember to enjoy the ride! Your goals are the landmarks that get you closer to your vision.
• Accountability – Who will be your accountability partner? Why did you chose them?  What do they possess that make then a good, effective, partner?
• Outcome – By this step you should see yourself where you want to be.
• Congratulations!  You made it!

I was at a house church meeting recently and we were discussing compassion, being considerate of others’ feelings, concern for your fellowman, and realizing that we all operate from a place of where we came from, what has transpired during our life on earth, and where we are now.  Then someone said, “Everybody sits in their own pool of tears!”  Oh my God!  That statement hit me in a way that made me look at how I judge people in my life, whether it’s when I’m outside in the streets, or at work, or driving for Uber, or at social gatherings. It also made me look at things differently when I am the recipient of someone else’s judgment.

Everyone experiences their own personal sorrows and challenges in life. This is a shared human experience in dealing with emotions, even if each individual’s circumstances and reactions are unique. The way someone responds to what you are saying or doing may come from a place of hurt, pain, or total misunderstanding of the message you were trying to convey.  We all know that hurt people hurt people.  Yes, we hear that all the time, but do we really truly understand the magnitude of that statement?  When I look at how sensitive I am and how I respond to certain situations, I know for a fact that a majority of my responses come from a place of hurt, and vice versa!

 

During a zoom meeting that I had scheduled, I found myself quoting parts of a recent Sunday sermon.  As I shared, one of my viewers, who is also on my weekly email list asked me, “What happened to the blogs that you used to do occasionally after some of the sermons?”  I gave her a number of reasons why I hadn’t done one lately.  Well, low and behold, here I am today recapping with a sprinkle of personal testimony from last Sunday’s sermon, because every day this week I have repeated those words.  Our theme for the series is, “Unboxed – The Power of Innovation,” with the first installment being, “There is Another Way!”  I have never seen a pastor so eloquently tie every scripture to daily living in a manner such as this.  There are three areas to consider when thinking about the healing at the pool, John 5:1-9;  1) Examine your expectations,  2) Don’t be trapped by tradition, and  3) Operate in obedience.

Let’s ponder this!  Do you really want what you are asking for?  Do you want that new job?  Do you want that spouse which you been praying for?  Are you ready for the responsibilities that come with acquiring what you are seeking? What are your expectations once you get what you want?  Jesus asked the man at the pool one question, “Do you want to be healed?”  Of course he said yes, after explaining to Jesus all the reasons why he didn’t think it could happen.  In life, we get trapped by what has happened before and fail to realize that with Jesus, there is another way! There is another way to get that job!  There is another way to have that spouse!  Jesus said, “Pick up your mat,” and the man was immediately healed!  He didn’t have to wait for anyone to help him get in the pool.  He didn’t have to wait for the water to be stirred!  All he had to do was hear the voice of God and be obedient.  Of course all of this seems very simple until it’s time to put it into practice.  I promise you it gets easier the more you do it!  I’m a living witness.  Not perfect, but I’m a work in progress every day.  God bless you as you listen to His voice and realize that there is another way.

 

We get so wrapped up in doing life as usual that we forget to broaden our horizons and create new visuals for our mindset and our dreams.  Sometimes it can be hard to let go of our comfortable little space inside our bubbles. If you never experience anything outside your balloon, then you will always be recycling the stale air that surrounds you.  Yes, you need to step outside your comfort zone and stop waiting for others to join you in living your best life.  It’s nice to hang out with friends and family, but sometimes you need to take the road less traveled alone, and I did just that this past weekend when I decided to visit the “Rivers Casino Portsmouth,” which is only an hour or so away from my home.  This was something that I had on the back burner for quite a while with hopes of a group trip, but when I saw the little Airbnb that I had been keeping tabs on open up for one night, I decided to do a solo getaway, and off to the casino I went.

As an Uber driver I also made the trip pay for itself by grabbing riders to/from Portsmouth, and fortunately I ended up spending very little of my own money because one of the riders gave me a cash tip and told me which machine to play.  Although I won and lost it was a great experience along with the amazing food at the “Crossings Café!”  I would definitely return for the food, but not so much for the gambling, since I’m not really into watching money go that fast.  The bottom line is, I wanted to feel the air outside my balloon!  The next time you feel yourself getting complacent and out of sorts, jump outside your balloon and grab some fresh air.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to become a minimalist? I’ve given it quite a bit of thought lately and truly believe that I could live in a Tiny House. Recently I decided that I do not want any more material things for my home or my closets. No more visits to Goodwill.  Don’t need another coffee mug or wall picture, or clothes. As I survey my surroundings I realize that I have many things for decoration only, and so many things that no longer serve a purpose. The biggest and heaviest item is this huge desk in my office that I rarely spend time in except for meditation and bible study.  Since I’m not as active on social media and no longer need to create endless content for events or visibility, therefore my office hours are minimal.

When I moved back to Virginia two years ago, I overestimated the number of visitors that would walk through my doors: I can count on both hands how many has come, other than for my Christmas Party!  The other day I was sharing with someone about the days when folks knocked on your door without calling and how that has changed. I think I am the only person who still does that, and some of my friends I still need to call before visiting. So as I tackle this next & final phase of life, I will be letting go of things and concentrating more on my health, creating experiences, maintaining family/friend relationships, and a whole lot of eating good food. Although there are so many things I’d rather be doing, I realize that God is up to something new and age truly does change the way we see and do things!

Stick with the enemy you know, because you know what their tactics will be.  You know how they are going to come at you.  You have been there and done that, and got the T-shirt to show for it.  It’s very familiar ground, therefore, it may be less stressful than the unknown.  Many times in life, as soon as you start doing well, the enemy peeps its ugly head in to see where he can stir up some mess.  Where can he shower some doubt and disbelief?  So, be careful when making changes, because you could end up jumping out the frying pan into the fire.  At least with the frying pan there’s a cushion between you and the fire, which means you might have a chance of not burning up completely, but once you get into the fire, there’s no return.  We always think that the grass is greener on the other side until we get over there and realize that it’s artificial turf.  The grass is really greener on the side that is watered properly!

When I tell you that life has been life-ing, this is no understatement!  God’s got me all twisted up like a pretzel wondering which end is truly up.  I’m sure some of you are in the same boat.  My only recourse is to trust Him by sticking with the enemy I know.