For Your Glory...

The other day I was caught up in worship while listening to "For Your Glory" by Tasha Cobbs. As I listened to the words of the song I began to feel conviction. I continued to sing the song, "For your glory, I would do anything. Just to see you. To behold you as my King... I want to be where you are..." And my stomach began to turn as the question presented itself, "Would you really do anything for my glory? Do you really want to be where I am?" As I began to say yes, the questions kept coming, "What if I call you to minister and show compassion to people who talk about you and mistreat you?" "What if I tell you to move to a place that is uncomfortable and unfamiliar to you?" What if I call you to give up the very thing you hold dear to your heart?" "What if walking in my will causes you to lose friends and loved ones?"
As I stood before God I had to reanalyze if I really meant the lyrics that I sang in worship to Him. I had to repent because as I started to answer the questions I realized I wasn't being honest and I had to stay before the Lord and pray as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane that His will, above mine, would be done in my life.
It is true, I want to dwell in the presence of God. I want to dance and rejoice in His glorious presence. And I want to be able to stand before Him honestly and tell God, "Yes, for your glory, I would do anything!" After all that God has done for me and delivered me from I want to present my life as a living sacrifice and always remain available to Him. My heart's desire is that I would always be able to say, as Isaiah did, "Here I am, Lord, send me!"
That isn't to say that it is always easy, I wrestle with my flesh daily and I have to fast consistently in order to keep my flesh and my own desires in check; however, it is definitely possible. I pray that as you listen to the words of this song (and any worship song) that you may be able to sing the words from a sincere heart!
Lord, if I find favor in your sight... Lord, please hear my hearts cry. I'm desperately waiting to be where you are. I'd cross the hottest desert. I'd travel near or far. For your glory, I would do anything. Just to see you. To behold you as my King... I want to be where you are!

Lord, are you there?

"And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age..."

There are times when we find ourselves in a position of complete darkness. No path to travel, no voice to follow, and no hand to hold. Praise seems pointless and worship doesn't seem to work. There will be times when this darkness, loneliness, weariness, etc... will be a result of your own "self-made distance" between you and God. And then there will be other times when you will be in a period of waiting when you haven't done anything wrong, you are praying, studying, and applying the word of God to your life but you just don't feel God near you. When you find yourself in situations like this (for myself, it is a lot more often than I'd care to admit) it is important to remind yourself of the promises of God.

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

The above promise was given to Joshua by Moses before Joshua was summoned to take over the task of leading the people of Israel into the promised land. It's important to note that if you read the entire chapter you will see that Moses was preparing Joshua to stand on his own. It was evident that Joshua was already a leader from the report he and Caleb presented to Moses regarding the promised land; yet from the time they left Egypt until now, Joshua was always able to rely on Moses' leadership. Now, as Moses was nearing the end of his life, he was equipping Joshua with the promises of God so that when the time came for Joshua to stand before the people and guide them in the way that they should go he would understand that it wasn't a burden he had to bear on his own. He could be confident in the fact that Lord had already gone before him and prepared a way. Furthermore, even in times of doubt, confusion, and weariness he could be confident that God was with him. And just like Moses assured Joshua, Jesus assures us in Matthew 28:20 that He is always with us. God recorded this promise more than once in His Holy word many years ago so that when we feel as if we have to stand alone, when we are unsure of which way to go, when we are called to be leaders in the midst of followers, that we too can rest assured that God has gone ahead of us and prepared a way for us. That even if we "feel" distant from God, His promise is greater than our temporary feelings and it is true that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us! He will be with us even to the end of the world.

Today my prayer for you is that you do not fear and that you are not discouraged! Command your soul to bless the Lord, command your heart to worship Him, and command your mind to trust His plan even if you can't hear His voice! The way is prepared. Step forth into your promise! I love you and as always you are in my prayers! For Love, Always!

...And He talks with me...

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "this is the way, walk in it."

It wasn't too long ago that I was fervently studying and praying, praying and studying.... I was fearful of making the wrong move and I felt as if God had stopped speaking to me but I was committed to trusting God's plan for my life even if I couldn't hear His voice.

Today, I just thank God for His voice and His direction!

I love this game!

Are you frustrated? Do you feel like you can't get it right? Are you consistently feeling convicted about something and frustrated that YOU ALWAYS have to be the one to do the right thing? Just remember, the Lord disciplines those He loves! (Hebrews 12:6)...

Honey, stop trippin! Does a coach go hoarse for a player with no potential? If you're still facing opposition then you're still in the game! #ForLoveAlways

Stop declining the call!

It is easy to get frustrated that God keeps calling you out of your mess and frustrating your fun. Heed the call, He's trying to prevent your downfall! You haven't gone too far or done too much. He is the master planner, He can take all of your mess and work it out in your favor!

Will you answer the call?

The Master is an esteemed author!

I came back just to tell y'all to stop replaying that hurt and those mistakes... Don't you know that right at this very moment the angels are giving God glory because of YOUR story! It was a mess but God has, is, and will make it a good one!

Ready or Not?

No introduction could do it justice...

Juiced!

This young man is annointed! Knows his stuff!

Dream Big!

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men, in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

It should come as no surprise that you will face opposition in your life. A very wise woman once told me, "you will face the most opposition in life in the area of your calling/purpose." What does that mean? Well, in the simplest form, once you have gotten a glimpse of what God has created you to do and begin to operate in line with that vision you will meet the greatest adversities in your life. (I know, I know.. it doesn't sound very encouraging if that's how you're supposed to spend the rest of your life. But don't fold your arms and poke your lip out just yet!)

Psalm 31: 19-20 gives us hope. You see, in verse 20 we are assured that we have a "safe place" in the shadow of our Heavenly Father. Have you ever wondered, "what are they going to say?" In that safe place we are protected from accusing tongues. The scripture doesn't say there won't be accusing tongues, but rather that God will keep us safe from them. Many of us are crippled with the fear of what people may say about us and how it may affect our life, our marriage, our friendships, our ministry. Whether the tongues speak truth or lies is not relevant. All that matters is that you remain in the shadow of the Almighty and you shall be covered and protected. Not just you, but your life, your marriage, your friendships and your ministry!... (Go ahead and take a praise break but it gets better!...)

In addition to the fear of what people may say about you, the second most common thing I hear and discern when speaking to people about goals and vision is, "how am I going to do THAT!" I don't have enough money." "I don't have this or that..." "Who's going to let me do that?" or worse, "Why me?" My response is always, "If God gave you the vision, He will equip you with everything you need at just the time you need it. Pray and seek His face! If you believe God for the vision, why would you not believe that He would make PRO-vision to allow it to come to pass? Who's going to stop you from doing that! and Why not you?!"
Some people will take my word for it, but for those of you who need something a little more heavy duty, re-read verse 19: How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. God isn't somewhere trying to scramble resources together for you. He has an abundant supply of goodness stored up for you! Not only does He have an abundance of goodness stored up for you, but He will bestow that goodness upon you in the sight of the very people who attempt to tear you down and work against the good work God is doing through you! Now that's a reason to rejoice!

Today, I pray that you dream... Dream Big! I pray that you seek God fervently and that He may direct your path. I pray for great strength and courage to do the impossible, to reach the unreachable, and to shine great light in the midst of darkness. Moreover, I pray that you remain humble and have the compassion to love everyone you cross paths with on your journey to success... Especially those who come against you, for they are in desparate need of the Love of the Father just as you are! I love you and I'm praying for you.

For Love, Always...

Now & Later...

"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and prace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:10-11

Have you ever found yourself asking the question, "why is this happening to me?" There will be times that you go through lessons or trials, you may even be in the midst of one at this very moment (and if you aren't pray for someone who is because someday it will be you standing in the need of prayer.) The first thing I encourage you to do during these times is to pray that God opens your eyes and your heart to see and receive whatever you should learn from this situation. Sometimes God will not change the situation, instead He will change you and through your growth things will begin to shift. Secondly, I would like to remind you that this too shall pass... Whether you are being taught discipline simply to promote growth in your life or you are being disciplined for something you have done outside of the will of God, you can hold on knowing that discipline is like a Now & Later... It's hard and tough right NOW, you feel stuck and as if every move is a struggle... but... IT GETS GREATER LATER!

You see, God, being the loving and caring Father that He is will discipline us and allow trying times to gently guide us in the way we should go, yet the tough times don't last always. In fact, if we take heed to the temporary discomfort of the lesson without complaint and remember the lesson the next time the opportunity to slip up comes around by choosing to do the right thing and remain within the will of God we can be sure God will bless us accordingly... Don't take my word for it: Psalm 84:11 states: "For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right."

And for those of you who have not done anything wrong but you still find yourself in a position of being disciplined, seek God for the greater purpose in the lesson. You may find joy in the fact that God does nothing without purpose. "And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This thing you're facing shall develop a marvelous testimony and produce a great harvest for you if you faint not!

I am praying for you all! Remember, it's hard NOW... but it gets greater LATER!

"I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory which shall be revealed in us..." Romans 8:18

Encourage yourself!

Sometimes you just have to look yourself in the mirror and preach to yourself. This is not last time! You won't make the same mistakes! You can and you will with the help of the Lord! 
 Write the vision, make it plain, read it over and over until you believe it...then read it some more! Nobody told me the road would be easy and I don't believe He's brought me this far to leave me! #ForLoveAlways

Yea, I said it!

Honey, look around and start taking notes! Many times we get frustrated because of common scenery and repetition but repetition is how you train muscle memory to gain strength. If you're feeling like you should be further along or like you keep falling into this same situation then take the time to look around and analyze every detail in order to correct what was previously done in error. It's never too late to get it right but you have to put the work in! Jeremiah summed it up best when he asked, "if running against men wears you out, how can you race against horses?" You have races to run! Get your weight up! #ForLoveAlways

PUSH!

You know that thing that has been stressing you out, causing changes in your appetite, pushing and stretching you beyond what you thought you were capable of? Don't pray that God removes it! Pray for strength to PUSH that baby! Honey, that thing causing you so much pain is not only going to deliver you but it's going to be the reason someone else gets delivered as well! Don't cry to quit, cry to keep on going! Don't know how? Just let me know, I'm an experienced birthing coach. It'd be my pleasure to assist you... #ForLoveAlways

Walk it out...

Honey, don't be upset because no one is there... There is power in walking alone at times. If you ever find yourself looking around and the people you thought would always be there (close friends, family, mentors, etc...) are not standing by your side don't get angry with them. Just like a parent teaching their child to walk, The Father will instruct people to stand back while He lovingly encourages you to place one foot in front of the other. As much as the people observing want to help you every time you fall, it would be detrimental to your growth for them to step in and their disobedience would eventually become a burden to them because if you never learned to walk you'd always have to be carried. Get up from there! God has more for you, but you have to have the strength to step forth! #ForLoveAlways

I'm just sayin...

#SingleGirlAdvice He can't give you all of him if other women still have pieces of him... *shrugs* #ForLoveAlways

Somewhere in the wilderness...

I was sitting on my couch thinking,

"I wonder how Joshua and Caleb felt walking for 40 years on a journey they knew was only 11 days long AFTER already seeing the promised land..."

*sigh*

"At least they had each other..."

...and just that quickly God brought to mind Psalm 27:13-14 - "I had fainted, unless I believed to see the goodness of the Lord IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say, on the Lord."  

Talk about an attitude adjustment! 

Today, I just want to encourage you to keep going! Keep running, keep fighting and do it with joy. I know it gets tough, trust me I'm walking a narrow road too! I speak from the road, not the promised land. If you believe in God and believe in His word then you must know things will get better. Believe that! There's no reason to be miserable in the wilderness, it might add another year/lap/trial to your journey. For specific prayer requests click the CONNECT tab on the website www.ForLoveAlways.com and fill out the contact form.  I love you and I'm praying for you! #ForLoveAlways

Make it like poetry...

Today I woke up singing "Poetry" by Tamia. I just couldn't get it out of my head. From the first time I heard the song I was in love with it. The melody was beautiful, the vocals were simply amazing, but the lyrics... the lyrics were what touched my heart and won me over!
One of my favorite lines in the song is "Make it like poetry, poetry, poetry... everything wrong you see, make it all right." I distinctly remember thinking, That's the kind of love I want my husband and I to have. I want a love that is not perfect but everything always works out. A love that is so strong that it covers and fixes anything that may not be beneficial to our relationship. A love that outlasts and overcomes any hardship we may face. I want a love like poetry.
You see, in poetry there are many times when you are writing when you just can not find the right words to express how you feel, or even worse, you have the words... they just won't come out right. However, anyone whose been writing for a significant amount of time will tell you if the work is something you're serious about, if you meditate, speak, or even think about those words long enough... more often than not, everything will soon fall into place... and just like the song says: everything wrong, will be made right.
Today, while praying and meditating, it became clear to me that we don't have to wait until God sends us a husband/wife in order to have a life and a love like poetry. Psalms 119:105 reads, "thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path." The God we serve has the ability to order out footsteps in His word and even refers to Himself as the way, the truth, and the life. If we do our part by meditating, speaking, and thinking on His word just as a poet would, we can be confident that God will give us lives and love like poetry... where everything that may be wrong will be made right!

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She and I are one in the same...

As I click the blue text that forms the words Post New Blog I take a deep breath knowing that I'm opening the door that I once closed and bolted shut, threw the keys into the fire and walked away like a thug... As the cursor winks at me I begin to fall in love all over again with this place that I grew to fear, each letter being a step further into this utopia. The love is quickly blanketed by the fear of all of the thoughts, memories, and ever afters that I cast away into the sea of forgetfulness. I keep reminding myself to just keep placing one foot in front of the other while simultaneously trying to focus on one single thought out of the millions that are encircling me. As I searched hopelessly for one to dwell upon I seen her. Everything stopped. The room was no longer spinning and my heart was no longer beating but I was still there and she stood before me. The adrenaline, however, remained and screamed to me through the dead silence to run... To be completely honest I wanted to, but I couldn't. There was something about her that kept me there, some weird desire to remain. So I did. I knew she wanted me to speak, I knew her just as well as she knew me, but I refused to speak until spoken to. I am still amazed at how I got to this point. I once controlled this place and everything within it, but somehow along the way I let it grow out of my control... "What brought you here?" The question caught me off guard but was one I knew I would have to face soon enough. For some reason I felt no need to sugar coat or hold back anymore.... So I told her, "HE did." She smiled, that was all she needed to hear. She asked no more questions and I knew I had her. Maybe she didn't really care why I came there, or maybe she just wanted me to admit the truth. At any rate those details mean nothing. What mattered the most was that She and I were now... ME- I got my swag back... Welcome back kid! She whispered. I smiled. Suddenly the room began to spin again and the thoughts returned… She faded away but I knew I still had her with me; she belonged to me again instead of the other way around. I didn't have to remind myself of the one step, two step because before I knew it I was going full force ahead... I wanted to move faster but my fingers and the keyboard were not nearly as advanced as the letters that seemed to meet and mate to form words that stemmed from the millions of thoughts all around me so I just pushed on as fast as my physical would allow. Fear slowly fades to ecstasy and I know I can stop now. There's no more trying, I just am.... I don't have to focus on one thing because I'll do it all... I don't have to run away anymore, I'm running towards. You don't have to come find me, I'll come to you. I can embrace all of it, imperfections and all... So with that said, I have to say Thank you Lord, for showing me...me! It's great to be here!!!

Can you hear me now?

You always tell me you hear me
But do you really
I may not say anything
At least not verbally
But internally
My heart is screaming
Yearning, wanting, pleading...
Please stay, don't go
I need your presence, just a moment more
Nothing else matters
No one else is a factor
All I see is you
I just wish you really knew
Even if I could verbalize
I wonder if you'd realize
That what I say is real
And maybe, the same way, you'd feel
I always say for you I'd travel
Don't need maps, I follow the direction of your heart
but I can not begin my journey
I'm lost and don't know where to start
I wish I could say I hear you
But you seem so far
Your silence is so loud
It makes it difficult to hear your heart
I'm trying to be patient
but my heart can't take the pain
of trying to occupy the vacancy
that clearly bears your name... Nothing else matters, but You!

Okay, that's the end for now I could go on and on but I should really be listening to the lecture in class.

I'm in love with a stripper...

I'm not gonna lie (cuz I believe in keepin it 100) I was completely in love with this song when I heard the remix. I don't listen to secular music as much as I did back in high school so I don't be up to date on music but when I finally heard this song it went hard in my ipod for a while... Lord forgive me, but that inner curiosity started to come out. (read into that what you will...)Lol! But that was quickly settled because I ended up going on a music fast but any way to the point of this post...
My first lady (Pastor's wife) brought up a great point, many of us would never admit to being in love with a stripper and even though we sing the song the reality would never be comfortable publicly claiming a relationship of this sort (although I'm aware some of us would). Despite this fact many of us are, indeed, in love with strippers (or have been at some point in time). How many people have been in love with someone who has made you feel like you weren't worth anything or made you feel as if no matter how much you gave and gave you still weren't enough. We enter into relationships with people that strip us of our pride, self-esteem, morals, etc... every single day.

So my question to you is, are you in love with a stripper?