True comes from within!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30 NIV)

I am reminded of the beauty that God has placed inside of me every day.

When we understand our worth, we are more likely to act on it. 

Often times we let our circumstances, emotions, and people dictate who we are.

But I am reminded through the word of God that true beauty comes from within.

It grows from within a seed needing the light to grow.

So don’t let anything block that light from which your heart desires. Keep sincerely giving and choosing the path that encompasses the true beauty of serving God. 

Small Seed of Faith Blooms into Trust

Small Seed of Faith Blooms into Trust

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." ~Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

Is faith and trust the same? Can I have faith without trust? Can I have trust without faith?

Faith is a noun. I can believe all I want, but when I fully trust God is when I chose to put that faith into action. I know that God can do, but I also have trust God will do it. It starts with faith that turns into full trust that soon releases into full surrender. When I fully surrender, then I can receive all that God promised me in his word.

Just listen, I am trying to tell you something...

Listen, I am trying to tell you something...

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. ~Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. ~ James 1:19 (NIV)

If you would just listen, I am trying to tell you something…

That message you heard so many times as an impatient child as a parent tried to instruct you to do something.

As a teacher, I have discovered that there is always that one child who won’t let you finish the directions.  This is the child who interrupts you in the middle of your sentence just as you were about to get to that part of the instructions.

This is the same child who never reads the directions either. When you ask them to read the directions back to you then they go…ohhhhh I get it.

As an adult, you think well I was just about to get to that if you would just wait and listen. Trust me, I am going to give you all the instructions that you need and check for clarification.

I thought, well do we sometimes do this to God. God has given us the instructions that we need. He has given us the word of God. We often neglect to read the directions because we are lazy, too tired, or too busy. We ask God for clarification and help but then we don’t stop long enough to hear God’s answer. 

We interrupt him in our need to have to know all the answers. We interrupt God in worry of not understanding. We interrupt God in the lack of faith that he will provide us with the answers that we need. We interrupt God in the lack of trust of our own insecurities.

As patient as God is…I wonder if thinks just as a teacher, adult, or leader thinks….Listen, I am trying to tell you something if you would just listen.

If you would have just listened then I could have avoided you from unnecessary woes.

If you would have just listened then I could have avoided you from unnecessary worry and stress.

I thought if only we even as adults would slow down and listen.  We would be less stressed and able to receive joy.  Listening is something we need to be quick to do because if we don’t listen then we can’t grab further understanding.

So today, I stop and say the words of Yolanda Adams, “Sight beyond what I see, you know what’s best for me.  Prepare my heart, prepare my mind. For whatever comes, I am going to be ready.”

But if I am going to be ready then that means I have stop, listen, wait, and let you be in control Lord. 

The Breakup

Ephesians 10-12 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 16 (NIV) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

James: 1:6 (NIV) But when he asks he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

The Breakup

(monologue by M. Roberson)

See every time I tried to let it go,

He would sneak back in the most subtle ways,

He would be my comfort after a long hard day,

He didn’t care if I cried just to let it out,

He loved listening to my discontentment and daily struggles,

He begin holding down my dreams, my desires, and all God had planned for me,

He told me I would never be good enough,

He told me I couldn’t do it,

He tried to block me from seeing what stood in between him and God,

He brought fear so that I could never take a step forward,

He said God would never bless you because you don’t deserve it,

I am all you have so hold on to me,

The more he said it,

I begin to believe it,

And the more I believed it,

I begin to live it with him,

After all he was all I had right?

So I did something about it,

I just had to,

I just had to,

I broke up with DOUBT,

I broke up with DOUBT for good,

The break up felt uncomfortable,

I was scared, sad, angry, and upset,

We had been together off and on for years,

DOUBT begged to come in,

I cried and cried as I watched him,

But I didn’t let him back in,

I was done for good,

I met a new friend called FAITH,

FAITH encourages me and motivates me to serve others,

FAITH serves others with me,

FAITH tells me I am amazing, beautiful, and strong,

FAITH helps me accomplish things I thought I could never have,

And best thing is that every time DOUBT tries to come back in,

I hold up the shield of FAITH,

Faith protects me, leads me, and guides me,

As long as I am faithful to faith,

He never leaves me,

And his promise is for real.

I had to break up with doubt in order to receive everything God had for me.

Break up with whatever is holding you down today. I have found that without faith it is impossible to please God because to believe is to believe whole heartily. There will be many things thrown at you by the enemy such as words of doubt, failure, or things intentionally said to hurt your self-esteem or pride. But when the enemy comes, recognize where the negativity is coming from, hold up the shield of faith to block anything that is not true about you. You are supreme, you are spiritual sons and daughters of the highest king, and you can do anything through Christ who is your strength. When others try to say otherwise, know who you are. So today, break up with anything that can’t better your life, your dreams, and your destiny to serve others.  

I just want you to know: God loves you!

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blkwomenart

     

 This morning I simply want to tell you that God loves you.  Sometimes you need to simply hear this.  A phrase that never becomes cliché because it holds so much truth behind it.

       We often carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We constantly give to relationships, friendships, and situationships where in return we feel unappreciated, underappreciated, neglected, or even forsaken.  We take our past experiences and live in fear of never truly fulfilling the opportunities that God is calling us to do. 

And truth is my friend; sometimes our best just doesn’t seem good enough.

       At some point in my life I came to a life lesson to never give to receive or expect anything in return.

       This is could be material things or not. This could be you given your time to a friendship only for them to block you out for no apparent reason. This could be you given your full dedication to a job only to receive a pink slip for no apparent reason. This is could be you given godly counsel to a close family member only for them to turn around later and betray you…yep you got it for no apparent reason.  After all, I have heard so many stories…

       BUT there is good news! God is the exception! When I give to him, I am sure to receive in return whether it is directly back to me or in the development of others and uplifting of the kingdom.

       There was a conference I went to a couple of years ago with my girls. It was a ladies night to just allow you to remember how precious you were as a person, but even more a woman of God. If we don’t have a positive self –image about ourselves then we fail to function as a working unit for the purpose that we were called for.  The theme allowed me to remember that I was a wonder woman and my strength was found in God. I brought home a poster that night that I often glance at.

       It says, “Don’t allow your distrust in people to transfer over to your relationship with God. He’s the One who will never let you down. ~ Kim Burrell

       Truth is I have often found out that if my relationship isn’t right with God than it transfers into my other friendships, relationships, and situationships of life. I have had countless disappointments where I tried to do my best, be my best, and give my best, but I still seemed to fall short of the expectations of others. When this happens, pick yourself up, smile, and continue to love anyway. You have the power to change the world even if it is just a small piece it. And remember these words, God loves you very much.

       God will never forsake you when others do. His love for you is unconditional and pure. When we give back to God in the spirit of sincerity, we receive many things in return such as peace, hope, and simply a reason to live.  

I'm not perfect, but I'll keep trying...(44)

As I watch the Summer 2016 Olympics, I see amazing talents. But what is often even more fascinating than the victory is the story that led to that moment in time. Behind every glory is a story and some of the best ones didn't happen over night.

Life can sometimes be hard and the truth is some days I feel like I will never get it completely right. But I am reminded that God has given me grace to receive mercy and the authority to live freely in his peace.

His promise was written in his word for those who believe. It is not written in our circumstances, luck, or selfish desires. There are days that our feelings don't even match up with truth, but despite our changing emotions...truth still stands on its own.

There is someone who needs to hear your story. There is someone who needs to hear about the nights that you cried or how many times it took you to even get it close to right. There is someone who needs to hear that although they have failed at what seems like so many things... never give up trying. 

So tonight I pray for that woman who has been hurt...
That man who has given his all, but it never seems good enough...
For that teen that is discouraged about who they are...
The confused soul who tried to do it right and it still ended up wrong...
I pray for that person in the corner ready to throw in the towel for the last time...

Because...

The truth is I'm not perfect, but I'll keep trying...

He already knows! (43)

“I could have saved you a lot of time, if you had just called me first.” ~P. Shirer

I was riding and meditating listening to my devotionals on a plane ride. I had listened to this particular devotional literally one hundred times before, but for some reason this time it was as God was speaking to me himself. I heard these words clearer than ever, “I could have saved you a lot of time, if you had just called me first.”

The rest of the world just seemed to stop around me as I thought about being open enough to hear God’s voice. So many times I have gone in complete circles because I thought I could do it on my own. I was looking at the map right? Truth is there were parts of the map I didn’t understand so I tried to create my own path down the roads that looked more scenic. Once I got lost, I understood that all I had to do was stop and ask for directions. 

Wait, I know the creator of the map! How amazing is that? He is standing there just waiting to help. He is standing there with open arms.

God wants the complete best for you. Everything or opportunity that may be a good thing may not necessarily be a “God thing” and fit the mold of your life. So today, slow down, ask, and just listen.

Change Decided...(42)

 Change

We let sin in little by little to the point that we soon look around only to discover it is getting out of hand. So we make excuses and move on, but we never really fix the problem. It just grows. Who knew that what started as one little sin or one little moment could get so way out of hand?  It opens doors for so many more things and areas of our life. The confusion trickles down to capture little minds. We let disobedience into our households and schools until it begins to look like kids are gaining power as a reflection of the standards that have been set before them. They are this reflection that laughs back at all who thought, "Awwwww it is okay." It is okay to move with the times to not hurt anyone's feelings, but neglect the fact the results are everlasting.We let the small negative things and ideas come in. We let those who still have so much to learn or fully develop run the world classroom. We let them explore the world without scaffolding, facilitation, or guidance. Yes, intelligent, but their mental capacity couldn't handle it because they needed to grow and yet their proper training was sabotaged by selfishness and greed.

We then talk about our own reflections by tearing them down with our words and dissatisfaction. Their valuable study time sold them contradictions that they couldn't distinguish the truth  so they just went with the flow and followed their own ways. The power of who we are is reflected through our words and actions. Change can never come if we are not the evidence of that change.
-M. Roberson

Today I decided...

Today I woke up and decided I would not let anything stop me.
Today I woke up and decided that I wouldn't let words tear me down.

Today I woke up to understand that my future is greater than my past.
Today I woke up to understand that my mind influences my perspective in life.

Today I woke up motivating myself that I could dream big dreams.
Today I woke up and decided that my vision and goals would come to reality.

Today I woke up understanding that circumstances can't overcome me.
Today I woke up understanding that failure is not a permanent position.

Today I woke up knowing that God has my back and his love is simply intentional.
-M. Roberson

Fresh Flow

Boy, fresh cut, new shoes, like you got it all together

Attitude, car fresh, but your heart is like a feather,

Flowing with the wind,

Yet you’re falling deep in sin,

Trying to make one hundred,

But you’re barely past a ten.

Girl, you say your faith on fleek,

But your testimony’s weak,

Your words don’t reflect your actions,

Truth divided into fractions,

I’m not a math whiz,

But you got a big red X at the top of your quiz.

We have to uphold our standards and let our words be wise,

It takes a whole lot of faith to open up your eyes,

This life can be rough, but you have everything you need,

Push hard, never give up, and let God take the lead.

-M. Roberson