Inspirational Menu
- Are You Waiting or Wasting?
- …A Ruler Over Much
- The Effects of Unforgiveness
- Oh, The Grace of God
- What's Good About Today
- We've All Got A Lot of Work to Do
- Believing Beyond Where You Are
- Women and Our Emotions
- We Have the Power
- Freedom to Be Free
- HOPE
- Earth, Our Home
- GRIEF: The Misunderstood Emotion
- Even If It's Not Your Birthday
- PRAYER CHANGES THINGS
Inspiration (14)
By Georgeann McCrary
Are waiting and wasting one in the same? I ask this question because I often hear people say they are waiting for a blessing, waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right, and waiting on a financial break-through. But during the time that is passing what steps are being taken to get that blessing? Are you working through your own issues and baggage in order to be prepared when Mr. or Ms. Right shows up? What seed has been planted and watered in order to manifest that break-through? Has anything been done, fostered, nurtured, or prepared? Or is there just waiting, waiting, and more waiting for this miraculous event to occur without effort?
Can all this desire and faith by itself amount to anything? That same question is posed in the Bible. “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20 KJV). Later in James 2:26 the question is answered, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” The Message Bible further describes “faith apart from works is inactive, ineffective, and worthless.” Simply put, faith without some sort of effort means nothing is happening. The situation remains lifeless and corpse-like. Yes, we need to believe and have faith, yet we often miss the works portion so waiting then becomes wasting…wasting time.
As we are waiting and wasting, life is moving forward. Whether we choose to move or be stagnant the sun rises and sets daily and the grass continues to grow. We have to make sure that we continue to be forward moving as well with bettering ourselves, renewing our minds, and taking the necessary steps to manifest those things that we desire. Nothing just happens. Now you may be thinking, ‘God told me to be still and wait on Him.’ Indeed there are times when the Holy Spirit will instruct us to be still. However, even in one’s stillness there is prayer and meditation that should be taking place.
Stillness does not mean idleness. This stillness means communing with God and discerning the messages He sends about what one’s next right action should be. This waiting is not wasting because there is some action taking place. There is effort, intention, and focus on God. So if you are diligently waiting and not wasting for something in your life to happen, make sure that there are some works, effort, and action being taken. Couple that that mustard seed of faith and surely many wonderful things will blossom in your garden called life.
…A Ruler Over Much
Written by AdministratorBy Ava Simone Collier
“The Antidote is the word of God. It was birthed out the things I had gone through,” says Mershele Brown, the creator, producer and host of “The Antidote Show.” Mershele says that during a battle with ovarian cancer in 2007, God started reassuring her that He is the answer and The Healer. “I started feeding into my spirit that by His stripes I am healed. As it turned out I didn’t have to have radiation or chemo. I’d had two surgeries and they’d gotten all of the cancer. I was cancer free. God put in my spirit that He is the Antidote and to go forth to tell my story.” Mershele says that while God didn’t condone all the choices she’d made, she feels He did allow her to go through them for His glory. “I’ve been drug addicted and even homeless with my children at one time. It’s not a pretty thing. At one time I was living in my beauty salon with my children making grill cheese sandwiches on my stove that I put Marcels in. Whatever I had to do to take care of my children I did. I just trusted God. For me, success is to help someone else to succeed. It doesn’t hurt me to help someone else.”
Mershele says God gave her dreams of feeding the people. She explained that she used to listen to Creflo Dollar throughout the time she had cancer. “God began to talk to me and I started researching on how to spread His word. Most Evangelists go forth in the pulpit. God said I don’t want you in the pulpit, instead go on a nationwide global direction. I asked God what I should name my show. Creflo said ‘God is the antidote to everything’ and I knew right there and then what I would name my show.” Mershele has been shooting the Antidote Show for over two years. She says that people are set free from different testimonies. She says people constantly call, email or write to her to say how much the show has changed their lives. “I think it’s needed right now. People need to know that there’s a way out. God loves them in the middle of stress and depression. Don’t give up. He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Mershele is also the owner and operator of Divine Serenity, a hair salon in Smyrna, Ga. “I’ve always had a love of people, even with doing hair. It’s nurturing to me to see people with a smile on their face.” On July 10, 2010, Mershele will host an awareness event at her salon. Various organizations such as HIV/AIDs Awareness, Diabetes and Sickle Cell, along with a fashion show presentation, praise dancers and singers will be represented. “I invite everyone to come out and join us. It will be a day of celebration for the whole family. It’s going to be an awesome event!” Mershele says that she believes it’s important to give back, even if you don’t have much to give. “If you don’t have enough to pay your bills, God wants you to sow a seed. You don’t have enough to pay it anyway so why not just I just sow this seed. God says he will make you a ruler over a little before a ruler over much. It’s about giving even if you don’t have much. Our arms are too short to box with God. Whatever little thing you give, watch what God will give back to you.”
Divine Serenity Hair Salon 3471 South Cobb Drive Smyrna, Ga 678-7704198
Dr. Sharon R. Johnson
Mark 11:24 What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.
I received a phone call one stormy December night from one of my friends. She was calling to ask if I would go to the Cleveland Clinic to pray for one of her girlfriend’s daughter. I knew her girlfriend and her daughter. She had been admitted to Altman Hospital in Canton, Ohio two weeks prior. At that time, they thought that she was having a nervous break down and she was also having seizures. After being there for so long and seeing no results her family took her to the Cleveland Clinic.
That night there was a blizzard and the Ohio State Highway Patrol had issued a state of emergency for all vehicles to stay off the roads. I told my friend that I would come to the hospital to pray for Delesa. I called one of my sisters in the ministry and asked if she would go with me. Although my sister was concerned about the blizzard, she agreed to go with me. My husband was worried about my safety but knew I had to go. He cautioned me and asked me to call him when we arrived.
At the hospital, most of the family waited anxiously in the waiting room, including her mother. Brian, her husband, had not left her side since the ordeal began. Delesa was in intensive care and they still had not found out what was wrong with her. The beautiful young lady that I knew was hardly recognizable. The entire front half of her head was shaved and electrical wires were attached. Machines and monitors made unfamiliar sounds in the room. We told them that we had come to pray and asked if it would be alright. They welcomed us.
I leaned over and began talking into Delesa’s ear and, to my surprise, she sat straight up, eyes rolling around and made a screeching babbling noise. Although she was sedated, her spirit was alert. I connected with her spiritually and began to read the Word of God to her and then did what the Word instructed us to do. (James 5:14-15 )I instructed Brian that when we begin to pray, that he should pray for his wife as if he were praying for himself. I anointed everyone in the room with blessed olive oil and I began to pray the prayer of Faith in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit entered in with healing power and might. I felt the healing virtue flowing through my hands like an electrical current as I laid hands on Delesa. Right before our eyes we saw the power of God. I told Brian that regardless of what the doctors said, just believe that she is healed.
After several diagnoses and numerous doctors, an African-American Neurosurgeon by the name of Dr. Williams, of the Cleveland Clinic, accurately diagnosed Delesa’s problem. It was Encephalitis, an infection in the brain. Soon afterwards, she walked out of one of the greatest hospitals in the world by divine intervention, healed.
By Georgeann (Gigi) McCrary
Birthdays bring about different emotions for different people. Some celebrants spend their annual day having parties or personal pampering time while eliciting special recognition from friends and family. For others, birthdays bring about a sense of dread due to the fear of getting older. Then there are those who treat a birthday as just another day with no special rituals or fanfare. As I approached my birthday, I did three things: gave thanks, conducted a life review, and wrote the vision for the next phase of my life.
Give Thanks
I gave thanks for being alive to celebrate another year of life. It is by the grace of God that I live, move, and have my being. I do not take the blessing of life for granted nor should anyone. One can read headlines and browse obituaries from city to city and notice that a precious life came to a premature end. A thirty-eight year old news anchor in Columbus, Ohio lost her battle to breast cancer and a fourteen year old student succumbed to the H1N1 Virus. The reality of life is that tragedies happen and death does not discriminate. Together let us take a moment this day and everyday to give thanks.
Conduct a Life Review
Birthdays also provide the perfect opportunity to conduct a life review. Am I reaching my goals? Am I where I want to be? Have I positively impacted the lives of others? What have I done in the years that have been afforded me? These are the raw questions that I had for myself. To answer them took introspection, honesty, and a willingness to dissect the good, bad, and ugly. Challenge yourself to do your own life assessment. A life review allows one the opportunity to celebrate successes, cleanse from past disappointment and residue of despair as well as make amends where one may have fallen short. Remember: No matter where you are in life, it is never too late to change or make a difference.
Write the Vision
Finally, I wrote the vision for the next phase of my life. I sat down and seriously thought about which direction I want to go and things I want to do and accomplish. I prayed, conversed with God, wrote the vision and made it plain just as instructed in the Book of Habakkuk. No more haphazardness. I dared to dream and script my own future. My vision included utilizing my God-given gifts and abilities to love, nurture, uplift, and enhance my life and the lives of others. Join me in this endeavor. Write your vision, make it plain and let us run whole heartedly with our visions with steadfast faith and focused intention until they come to pass.
Gigi
By Tracy Washington
Here we are at the last round of court hearings, meeting with attorneys to settle division of property – this day marks the end. I’m glad it’s over. As I sat in the lobby of the courthouse completely stunned, the reality that my life was about to change forever hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m tired. I’m tired of fighting. I’m sitting across the table from a stranger. How did this happen? After this day I don’t have to be concerned with this mess. But I’ll be lonely; the intimacy that we once shared is gone. The dreams and plans that we made are gone. I feel like a hollow shell that was once filled with hopes, dreams and expectations. All I feel now is uncertainty.
According to the Grief Recovery Handbook written by John W. James and Russell Friedman, the definition of grief is “the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or change in a familiar pattern of behavior.” Loss is something that we all experience in our lives at one time or another. It’s unavoidable. The pain experienced by loss can be devastating, leaving us with unanswered questions and lifelong emotional pain. You can’t describe to anyone exactly what you feel because they can’t understand it. They claim they “know how you feel,” but in actuality every relationship and experience is unique to that individual. No one really knows how you feel but you and sometimes we don’t even know how we feel.
The overwhelming aspects of grief can make it difficult to sort out our own emotions. Grief is an emotional response to loss; it is not intellectual. Since most of us were socialized to divert our feelings to our intellect with phrases like, “Don’t feel bad, she’s in a better place,” we tend to try to use that idea to deal with all of our emotions. The net result is that we try to heal our emotions with our heads, which is something like shopping for milk in the hardware store. Logical reasoning does not lessen the pain of a broken heart. The heart screams out to communicate what it feels but the brain informs us that if we tell the truth, we will be judged or criticized for expressing what we truly feel. An internal war ensues and we try to reason away the pain, but that rarely works in the long run.
When we’re allowed to express our true feelings in a non-threatening, non-judgmental atmosphere, we’re more apt to tell the truth and rid ourselves of emotional baggage. Grief is not about the head, it’s a matter of the heart.
Tracy Washington is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, Speaker, Author & Life Empowerment Coach and can be reached at Tracy@FashionYourSoul.com.
By Richard M. Thompson
The planet we live on is nothing more than a collection of rocks, dirt, water and air in the most simplistic definition. The Earth, as we call our home, travels through space rotating on its axis once a day at a speed of approximately 1038 miles per hour at any spot on the equator. In addition to the rotational speed of the earth spinning on its axis, the earth also is speeding about 66,660 miles per hour in its revolution around the sun once every 365 days. Because of certain laws of physics, we do not even realize how fast our home is traveling through the universe. There is also a tendency for mankind to forget that he is just a steward of and a passenger on the good ship Earth.
A steward is someone whose main responsibility is to manage the property of the owner. A steward does not own any of the property, though the steward may benefit from any increase in value from their successful management of the property. Likewise, if the steward is careless in managing what was entrusted to him, the owner has the right to impose severe consequences on the steward for failing to fulfill their duties properly.
Our earth supplies us with finite resources; air, water, minerals and other natural resources that we, as a human race, have depended on for our survival for thousands of years. Mankind has been appointed by God to be His steward over His creation, our home, earth. We were not to harm His creation, our home, by spewing toxic chemicals into His rivers, lakes and oceans in the name of commerce. Nor were we to pollute the atmosphere, diminishing the quality of the air we breathe. As stewards of His earth, we are not supposed to do irreparable harm to his creation nor was it His desire that we fight amongst ourselves for the limited resources provided to us because of greed, selfishness and even religion.
We must realize that we cannot continue damaging the only home we have by polluting our only sources of water, air and land. Man’s continued deforestation of our rain forests and destruction of our wetlands causes the natural ecosystems to be out of balance which can have devastating consequences in times of heavy rains and storms.
Earth is the only home we have. Let us begin to heal her by doing whatever is necessary to restore the ecosystems that sustain our lives.
Richard M. Thompson is a freelance writer and can be reached at thmpsnmic@gmail.com.
By Georgeann (Gigi) McCrary
As I see the images in the media of devastation in other lands and hear of the economic ruins of those living in our own communities, I pray that hope is not lost. Hope is essential to improving societal conditions and neutralizing the negative effects of tragedy. Hope must not be abandoned nor orphaned through hopelessness and fear. We must expect, trust, and have faith that all things are indeed working together for good. As with the tulips that poke through the soil and rise in spring, it is my belief that the spirit within every person affected shall be filled and rises again. Have H.O.P.E: Hold On with Optimism, Patience and Expectancy.
Hold On: Although times may get rough, continue to hold on. See the flicker of hope that remains and cling to that promise that things can and shall get better. Take notice of the acts of kindness and generosity of others from all walks of life that are reaching out to help. It's as if in times of distress we become one unified body to help our brethren. For at our core, we know that as we help others we help ourselves. Hold On.
Optimism: Cling to that which is good and see that which is good. Optimism is looking at things in the most favorable light in order to draw that which is favorable unto you. Optimism is the belief in and the anticipation of the best possible outcome for your situation regardless of how things may appear. In essence, have unwavering faith and confidence. Be optimistic.
Patience: Sometimes we just have to wait things out. Some things cannot be rushed. It takes time to rebuild. It takes time to develop plans and strategies and then effectively implement them. Patience is defined as endurance and staying or standing power. Will you stand? Can you endure? Yes you can and will. Know that there is a harvest that comes after seed time and a mighty calm that comes after the storm. Have patience yet persevere.
Expectancy: Expect things to work out in your favor. Expect for the right people, circumstances and resources to come at their appointed times. Visualize those things that you desire in your mind and believe it in your heart. Let the anticipation of something good, miraculous, and befitting for your circumstance swell inside of you like the belly of a pregnant woman in her final trimester waiting to give birth. In essence, have great expectations.
Hope is powerful. May you see a flicker of hope to sustain you and in turn, be a flicker of hope for someone else.
By Richard M. Thompson
The 1st Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right of all Americans the freedom of speech and the freedom to practice the religion of their choice without government interference. This amendment is the bedrock of our nation, for without this amendment the government could dictate what we read, what we say, what the content of our media would be and how we worship and whom we choose to worship.
The 1st Amendment cannot be usurped, it cannot be compromised to fit any political or social agenda, nor can it be circumvented in any way by anyone.
The building of the proposed Islamic Cultural Center in New York City, a few blocks from Ground Zero, has caused a tremendous amount of controversy across the nation. There are those who oppose the renovation of a building that once housed a Burlington Coat factory into a cultural center because they say it is too close to the site where the World Trade Center once stood. Because of the 9/11 attacks, opponents of the center claim that site is hallowed ground. The opponents agree that the owners of the site have the right, under the 1st Amendment, to renovate the building for whatever legal purposes they desire. They are blaming all Muslims, all 1.3 billion Muslims, for the actions of nineteen. That would be like blaming all white Christians in the country for the actions of the KKK’s murder of thousands of African-Americans from 1890s to the 1960s.
The center would be home to a swimming pool, basketball courts, meeting rooms, retail space and a mosque on the top two floors. The owners of the property have complied with all of the zoning laws of the city, passed all appropriate legal requirements of the city, and has received support from Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York. The center would be open to all of the residents of New York regardless of religious affiliation.
Muslims have the right to build a place of worship in a building they own because the 1st Amendment guarantees that right and no one can make them move their project from their current location just because of the sensitivity of a few opponents. How far should it be from Ground Zero? Six blocks, eight blocks?
To give in to the opponents would mean that the 1st Amendment has been compromised and whose religion would be next? Richard M. Thompson is a freelance writer and can be reached at thmpsnmic@gmail.com.
By Stacy Lattisaw Jackson
I believe in one way or another we’re all waiting on God for something, whether it be a healing, deliverance, a new job, a house or an unsaved loved one. Don’t stop believing because God always answers prayer. Sometimes his answer is yes, no, or not yet. His timing is different from ours. Trust that He has heard our prayers and He knows what’s best for us. Many times while we’re waiting on God, He strengthens us. We develop character and He enables us to endure. God also uses these times to develop the fruits of the spirit which are love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith. Patience is not learned, it is developed. Trials and tribulations are designed to draw us closer to God.
I remember years ago I had an infection at the crown of my head and I was completely bald at the top. I went to the doctor and he said that he had never seen an infection that bad before. He said “you may want to have an aids test done.” I was afraid and didn’t know what to do. So I came home and I began to pray, “God I don’t understand this. I need your help!” By now, I had already decided that I no longer was going sing R&B music because God had taken the desire away. So I not only had to trust God to take care of me but I also had to begin to trust Him even more.
My mother’s friend, Matia, is a prophet and the Lord placed her in my life during this difficult time. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we don’t even know what to pray. She and I began to pray and one day the Lord spoke through her. He said these words to me, “As you begin to praise and worship me I will heal your scalp.” I really didn’t know much about praise and worship but I knew that I had to do what God said. I still continued to look at my scalp everyday. The more I looked at it, the worse it became. One day I decided to put the mirror down and obey God’s instructions. I praised and worshipped God everyday. I thanked Him for healing my scalp even though it was not healed, Romans 4:17 “Call those things which be not as though they were.”
One day I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was beginning to grow back. It grew more every day. God completely healed my scalp. He taught me the power of praise and worship. The most important thing he taught me was obedience to Him instead of doing it my way, which was to keep looking at the scalp instead of looking to Him. If you‘re waiting for God to fix some things in your life, learn to be content where you are. Once you’ve gone through your valley experience and you’ve made it to the mountain top, you’ll know God in a new way.
Women and Our Emotions Featured
By Stacy Lattisaw Jackson
Emotions respond to actions and events in our lives. Emotions are good and God given, but we must never be led by them. Being led by our emotions often causes bad decisions resulting in consequences. Sometimes we say “If it feels good, then do it.” However, the decisions we make will always affect our future. I’ve heard it said that women are more in tune with their feelings and more sensitive than men. I would agree with that. We are more likely to act on feelings before we’ve applied our minds to the issue at hand. One of our prayers everyday should be “God, control my mind, will and my emotions.” Most of us will have less guilt, frustration, loneliness, and insecurity if we were more thoughtful in our planning instead of acting hastily and impulsively.
When we have internalized truths that we believe with our minds and our hearts, they function as the foundation of our actions. Sometimes, as a result, our actions cause us to suffer consequences that are self-inflicted. When we study the book of Job, we see that Job walked upright before God. Though Job suffered, he brought none of this upon himself. He lost his children, his finances, his friends deserted him and he even became sick. But through it all, Job did not sin nor did he let his emotions get the best of him. Job’s wife obviously became emotional during his suffering. She said to Job, “Why don’t you just curse God and die.” Job’s response was “You foolish woman, though he slay me, yet will I trust Him.” So we see that Job wasn’t moved by what he saw or felt. Job was not moved by his emotions. He kept his peace and held on to his faith. God honored Job’s faith and in return God blessed him with even more than he had lost.
The question is how do we manage our feelings and emotions? We simply pray and ask God everyday to control them. We can’t imagine God’s emotions, but we can grasp glimpses of David, who was a man after God’s own heart. We can say with accuracy that our emotions are a part of God in us. Gen. 1: 27 tells us that we are made in God’s image. We might say that we are patterned after God. Let’s be glad that we have feelings and be glad that we can cry. Don’t be ashamed of the tears because God collects them in a bottle. And for some of us, He has big jugs. Accepting that our emotions are good and God-given is the beginning of feeling good about our emotions!
By Stacy Lattisaw Jackson
We all have a past and for some, our pasts have been difficult. Many times we look back at our lives and wish how we could change them. I met a woman who had been molested many years ago by a close family member. She said it was difficult for her to not only see this person, but to forgive him.
We all know that saying “Let go and let God,” however, in a situation as this, forgiveness can seem impossible, but it is possible with God’s help. We were all born with a sinful nature. It takes the grace of God to not only change our hearts, but our minds as well. We must pray diligently for God to take away the pain and give us the grace to enable us to forgive. Forgiveness is important not so much for the person who caused you pain, but for yourself and your well being.
Doctors have said that un-forgiveness can cause sickness and disease. I heard a story about a man who held unforgiveness in his heart for years towards someone who hurt him. He told his pastor that he had become sick because he held on to it for so long and wished he hadn’t. When we’re unable to forgive, it steals our joy and hardens our heart. Unforgiveness affects our relationships because we are not free to love the way God intended us to love. God wants us to live a life free from bondage, but if you never acknowledge the unforgiveness then you will be defeated.
The Bible says in John 10:10 that the thief cometh but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. If we learn to pray and give our hurts, disappointments, and unforgiveness to God, He’ll not only release the pain but he’ll also give us compassion for others who have also been hurt. People who have suffered the most are some of the most compassionate people. There are three very important things we must do in order to be free from unforgiveness. First we must acknowledge the unforgiveness, then we must ask God to help us to forgive those who have hurt us. Forgiveness is a process but as you continue to pray, God will enable you to forgive.
Finally, we must release it to God. John 8:36 says, “He whom the son sets free is free indeed.” Don’t let unforgiveness steal your joy because if you have no joy, you have no strength. If you have no strength, then you will not be effective for God’s use. So if there is unforgiveness in your heart, release it to God today and begin to walk in liberty. You will no longer be the victim, but the victor!
By Stacy Lattsaw Jackson
The challenges of life we often face at times can cause us to become weary and discouraged. But what we must always remember is that God never promised us a life free from trails and tribulations. He did promise us in His word that He would never leave us nor forsake us. The grace of God is an amazing gift that He freely gives us; it cannot be earned. When we look at 2 Corinthians 12: 7-9, it talks about Paul, who had a thorn in his flesh. “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” Paul continues, “…and He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” God gave Paul the grace to endure.
The grace of God sustains us in times of distress. During these times, we must look to God in earnest and sincere prayer. When we do this, we obtain grace in the form of help in every time of need. Grace here evidently refers to assistance from God –His ability to do in us or through us what we cannot do ourselves. I remember years ago I used to have a very bad habit of biting my fingernails. I used to pray and pray and ask God to take away the habit. One day, I don’t remember when it actually happened, but God took it away. I am truly convinced that the grace of God is amazing. If you find yourself with a bad habit, something you just cannot seem to stop doing on your own, I encourage you to begin to ask God for His grace that you need to overcome it.
Hebrews 4: 16 says, “Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Grace releases in us supernatural strength when we’re going through the storms of life. Grace ignites within us determination to keep going on no matter what. Grace echoes in our spirit that God is with us at all times. Grace assures us that God is in control. Grace is all about God’s provision, strength and help. Whatever you may be going through, remember God’s grace is sufficient and His grace will enable you to stand against anything that comes your way. Always remember there is nothing that you can do to earn the grace of God, you just simply receive it.
By Georgeann (Gigi) McCrary
All too often life circumstances surmount and become mountains in our minds. Once these problems become mountains in our minds, they then manifest as mountains in our lives. Worrying about bills, jobs, lack of financial resources, children and day to day responsibilities can wear you down. The climb up these mountains can be a struggle as well. Keep going and don’t faint because God has already worked things out. He is either in the process of moving that mountain out of the way or giving you the strength you need to climb.
Lately, I too, have let some things begin to expand. I was giving them too much focus and power. Anxiety breeds more anxiety. Doubt brings about more doubt. When negativity is planted, then that’s what grows in your garden of life. I then thought about my own words H.O.P.E: Holding on with Optimism, Patience and Expectancy. Where was my optimism? Where was my expectancy? I had to get it back and fast. Before I went to bed, I talked with God about helping me refocus and make the adjustments I needed to make. And He did. The next morning I recognized what is good.
What’s good about today is that I woke up with the sun shining through my window. The rays extended, radiating the warmth and magnitude of God’s love. I don’t often take the time to notice the sun. But today I chose to not focus on the darkness and negativity in my world. Today I chose to see the light of my world. What’s good about today is that I have children that I love and cherish. They are happy playing with their friends, riding their scooters and eating popsicles on a warm afternoon. They are oblivious to the household needs or parent responsibilities, for they know that they are provided for. They reminded me that I am provided for. God has already made a way.
What’s good about today is that I was able to talk to my mother who provides guidance, wisdom, and love. She puts things in perspective in a way that only a mother can. She is honest and transparent. She is what’s good about today. What’s good about today is that I was free to attend church and praise and worship God without restraint. I could carry my Bible openly. I could clap my hands, sing uplifting songs, and say Halleluiah uninhibited.
What’s good about today is that I allowed myself to see the mountains of goodness in my life. And, although the circumstances did not change overnight, my point of focus did. Yes, there is something good about today and everyday if we chose to see it.
