MyDivineJourney

My one word for 2014: do  1 Corinthians 14:32 People who speak what God has revealed must control themselves.  I began the month visiting my daughter during Thanksgiving and returned to spend Christmas with her. I'm so glad we spent this time together. The years slip by so fast and relationships are what matter. I was reminded to be present in the important moments.  Even though December is a nostalgic month for me, I had one of the strongest seasons ever. I made conscious decisions to not stress, over eat or spend lots of money.  I also elected to be joyful in the power of Christ, and I made good memories with the people in my life. God in my life I shared several blog posts on the things I learned about God. I am always reminded of the importance of writing down all things from God (Hab 2:2). Time as we know it exists because we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The entire western world comes to a halt every Dec. 25 to...

Matthew 6:13b ‘...For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’  Reflecting on this year. I'm not who I was in January and I thank God for His grace and mercy.  Humbled by His holiness.  Very aware of my propensity to sin yet He chooses to give me life.  

Exodus 28:2-3 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.  God thinks of every little detail for His people. He had Aaron's ministry garments specially made and they were beautiful. God cared about the beauty of the clothes!  I love these details about our Father in Heaven!

My word for 2014: Do I write this post while visiting my child for the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year we spent the holiday apart and decided not to do that again. As with all important relationships, ours evolves over time. It's exciting to see her craft a journey that's uniquely hers. What matters  This I know: what she thinks matters to me! I want her to lead strong life that makes a difference for Christ. Current events The Ferguson verdict cast a pall over November for many.  I found myself among protestors. They also protested right out side our door, which concerned me. It's my hope that the institutionalized racism that exists in our country can be reconciled without further loss of lives. Decluttering My month was full of doing - my 2014 action word! I like the decluttering work I've done so far. It will carryover to 2015 as I seek peace in all areas of my life. Personal projects  I'm working on a photo project to get rid of th...

December 19, 2010 1 Chronicles 28:9 Accept the God of your father. Serve him completely and willingly, because the LORD knows what is in everyone's mind. He understands everything you think. If you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you forever. Yes, God knows what’s on your mind. Yes, God understands why things are the way they are in your life. Yes, God wants you to go to him for help Yes, God will give you an answer Yes, God will leave you forever if you decide to turn from him God is waiting to answer all your questions. The real issue is: Are you willing to come to God and have a relationship with him? Are you willing to serve God with all of your heart, soul and mind? Many go to God during the hard times. It doesn’t have to be that way. God understands your daily struggles and your daily triumphs – and he wants to be part of it all. If you seek God, you will find him.

My Word for 2014 – DO! I’m happy that I've kept up with the commitment I made to myself to post these monthly blog updates related to my “do” goals. What a month of much "doing" for me!  It was a strong month both in my personal and in my professional life. To be sure, I had unexpected sorrow, but life goes on. Decluttering The decluttering project started with baby steps: each week I tackled a closet, a drawer or an area of my home. The results have been amazing and I  stepped up to the next level. I had the kitchen cabinets painted, but I handled the trim details that made my kitchen a lovely place to be and possibly even cook.  J Books that I love Reading brings me joy. I switched back to paper books to stop being distracted by the internet and social media. I want to be mindful in moments that matter. This month  I've  read most of the book my book club is reading - Barbara Brown Taylor’s Altar to the World . I’m also deeply immersed in R. C...

Feed your faith, stop the fear 2 Timothy 1:7 God didn’t give us a spirit that makes us weak and fearful. He gave us a spirit that gives us power and love. It helps us control ourselves.  Fear sneaks into the mind like a thief before you can say 1, 2, 3. When that happens, drop what you are doing or thinking and get into the word! This is a great reason to know Scriptures that ease your heart and mind.   Think about it: God gave us a powerful and loving mind! Why would you feed it with fear?  Instead, challenge yourself to confront what's making you crazy. Is it relationships? Try loving instead of trying to be right all the time. We can love those who are the hardest to love in all areas of our lives. It takes discipline, humility and the desire to obey God, but we can do it. Whatever your fear, confront it so it loses the ability to take over your mind. Understand your impulses and natural sin points.  Be careful what you think, be vigila...

My word for 2014: DO Do. Yes I "did" this month. I got important things done this month. I also know that I trust God with my life. I'm not out of the woods, but I'm leaving every part of my life in God's hands. Hebrews   4 : 13  He knows about everyone, everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from him to whom we must explain all that we have done.  I also know that life for me is deeper and more profound when I trust God. I know that I'm not alone when I trust The Higher Power who created me for His purpose.  This month I also learned how important it is that we not allow our vocations to become our main identity. I saw peoples' lives shaken and it shook me. I was reminded of how important it is to have a balanced life. This is why I try to keep this verse in my heart: Colossians   3 : 23  Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for...

2 Timothy 4:3 – “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” It’s so easy to take the high road and criticize churches that teach “uncomfortable” theology - the kind of theology that makes people realize that they are sinners in need of Christ. But I don’t want to go to a church to hear self-help/feel-good messages with shades of New Age Thought and philosophy.   But is it the “church” or is it the people who are at fault? The bottom line is that hurt people, hurt people and no one is immune.  I've been on both sides of the aisle criticizing the building and its people. I've come to realize that maybe - just maybe - it was ME. I know first-hand because my grandmother and her conservative church loved me to pieces! But they preached the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 3:16) with no strings and no desire to make you feel good about yourself. Instea...

My Word for 2014 – DO!  Psalm 50:6 (NLT) Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge. Interlude. The long, hot days of August come to a close as I reflect on the grief and terror experienced  around the world  and  in America by innocent people. Somehow, this month can’t be all about me and my personal world because God opened my eyes and heart to the hatred and evil of humankind. Terrorism against any group, anywhere in the world, is evil whether it’s political or is conducted by organizations that are supposed to protect the citizens of America. We saw images of an innocent journalist, women and children harmed across the world. We saw how racism reared its ugly head in our own back yard with the killing of a young black man. I came of age in the era of desegregation and it feels like  we've  lost ground. I’m particularly appalled at the ignorance of some Christians who are hypocrites when it comes to loving...

My Word for 2014 – DO! After hosting Flat Friar , Little Man of the Cloth and Ambassador of Friendship, I realized that I needed to do my part to help  homeless and hurting animals on the streets of my city. I’m now sharing adoption opportunities and awareness through social media and people I know.  My cat Instagram account also features animal care tips. I’ll have more to say about this ministry later.  I also adopted Sam, a homeless 3-year-old gray tabby, in my community.  I've  known Sam for a while, but I  didn't  know his owner moved away and left him. Several of us fed Sam, but I took him in and had him vetted. He’s mine. I've  enjoyed gatherings with several key friends this month.  I've  also been available to those who need prayer and a listening ear.  One of my goals is to pull together a small group of women who will walk with me in ministry.   I've  been asking God to ...

My Word for 2014 – DO! June was a month of rest and recuperation for me. After celebrating my birthday over several weeks with family and friends at the end of May, I took time to take it easy. My daughter returned to her home early in the month and I miss her. I’ll always miss her. Family birthday celebrations continued in early and late June. I traveled outside of the city to attend a unique, spirit-filled wedding with a dear friend in the lovely foothills of a nearby town. Enjoyed meeting fascinating, eclectic people. I started a scrapbook to gather all the cards  I've  received over the years. Those cards tell my history from the eyes of the givers. The decluttering project brought peace into my life. My home looks better and I find myself carefully thinking before I make purchases. Do I need it? Will it gather dust?  Putting my personal affairs in order last month made a difference. I don’t want to leave a burden on my only child. ...

Today I was reminded that it was the 9th anniversary of the death of one of my best friends. My response was: “ This goes down as one of the most sacred days of my life...” The reason I write this note is to remember that God pushed me out of my comfort zone on the day Eva died. I had never prayed out loud and in the presence of many people.  Eva had taken her last breath surrounded by her loved ones at home by the time I arrived that Saturday nine years ago. I gathered my emotions, and I obeyed the Holy Spirit as the family formed a circle holding hands surrounding Eva. I cannot remember the exact words, but they rolled out of my tongue in a way that surprised me.  They were words of thankfulness for her life, for God’s comfort and for strength for the family. I deeply miss Eva’s physical presence. She left a giant hole in our friendship circle. I often remember that day when I obeyed. 

My Word for 2014 – DO! Be prepared for the sunset of your life.  For this month’s DO blog post, I’d like to share a very important DO that I accomplished:   I got my personal and business affairs in order ! Sometimes you have to do things you’d rather not do like prepare a will, and pull all the important financial and legal information together that your loved ones need for the day that your earthly dash date arrives and your time is up. Most of us prefer not to consider the possibility, especially if we’re young, healthy and invincible. But I’m proud to say that my “do” goal, 52-week decluttering project and information from a professional development seminar helped me put my affairs in order, so I’ll share resources I found helpful. TED Talk :  Prepare for a good end of life I watched this short  speech by Judy MacDonald Johnston  at a conference earlier this year and was inspired to get my life plans in order as part of my do go...

James 1:20 Human anger is a futile exercise that will never produce God’s kind of justice in this world. Anger destroys joy It has been my unfortunate experience that anger invites more sin. Anger explodes lives. It kills relationships; it burns bridges and destroys people. Anger destroys trust. If only we would leave injustices done to us and those we love to God. His justice is fierce. Leave your anger in God’s hands.  Keep your sanity.

James 2:12 So live your life in such a way that acknowledges that one day you will be judged. But the law that judges also gives freedom,  Lately, I've been thinking about the day that I stand before a Holy God. It's a sobering thought. The Lord knows me, every single thing I've said, done or thought.  Yes. I will be judged and it's a scary, but exciting thing to imagine. On one hand, God will know of my deep devotion and crazy love...But... But what about the other side of me?  My sins, my struggles...the real me that's hidden from sight and sometimes from my own sight?  It's enough to paralyze me with fear.  But then I remember.  I'm free.  Knowing God made me free. I can change my actions.   I can make better decisions because it's His laws that protect me from myself. 

My Word for 2014 – DO! I usually write my monthly wrap up post a few days in advance. But this month slipped away.  It's been a strong spiritual month. I went places with the Lord that were hard to swallow. I asked for more and I received more.  But those gifts brought more revelation.  Frankly, it hurt...because I continue learning lessons I thought I knew. I celebrated His deep commitment to humanity, which resulted in His crucifixion. I felt His deep love. I don't want my Easter love to end. One thing for sure, each day I must hang on to Him for nourishment on all levels. I learned that I have much to learn.  He is powerful.  He is sovereign.  It was a month of deep theological shift in my belief. That started earlier this year and it continues.  It was a month of deep ministry to patients and others. It was a strong social media ministry month. It was a strong month caring for those I love. But I can always d...

Holy Saturday WHAT CHRIST DID IS MAGNIFICENT - 1 Corinthians 15:19-23 1 Corinthians 15:19 If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone else in the world. 20 But Christ has truly been raised from the dead— the first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised.  21 Death has come because of what one man did, but the rising from death also comes because of one man.   22 In Adam all of us die. In the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again.  23 But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised . When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life, ...  Thank You for giving us hope and life.  Wow, GOD.  When this season is but a distant memory, I never want to forget Your great sacrifice.   Thank You doesn't seem sufficient... Thank You for Christ.  Thank You for Easter. Thank You for y...

Proverbs 16:2 The Voice Even when you think you have good intentions,     He knows your real motives. I’m writing to remember that I still have a hard time humbling myself. I fail to love as the Lord loves me. I know what’s required of me. But I failed. I have no excuses. I have fallen short…again. So the next time I think I know. I don’t. But knowing what I know this day, I will go in His power. I will accept His grace, and I will try to love as He loves…again.

I believe in celebrating birthdays and feasting with family and friends. I also think the best thing any parent can do is pray for and encourage their children daily. During March I posted Scriptures each day honoring my daughter’s birthday.  My sole purpose in doing this is to remind her that our every need is answered by God and we see evidence of it in His word, the Bible.  Proverbs 22:6. Thanks to the ministry of Bible Gateway for providing online Scripture.   Jude 1:2 The Voice (VOICE) 2  Kindness, peace, love—may they never stop blooming in you and from you. Numbers 6:24-26 Living Bible (TLB) 24-26  ‘May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.’ Psalm 139:17-18 Living Bible (TLB) 17-18  How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day y...