Keep Marching Forward ...

Good Morning Friends!

It has been quite some time since I have written

Hard to believe that it is the last day of March 2019

And just like that – one-fourth of this year is gone …

It is a good time to reflect on goals that have been set for the year

It is a great time to check our progress in moving toward the things God has for us

Personally, I am in the middle of self-development project

It is one aimed at forcing myself out of my comfort zone

As an introvert, it is very difficult for me to socialize with people

Therefore, I have been taking deliberate and intentional steps to overcome this area

In daily interactions and on social media, I am pushing myself ...

To engage more with others and be more interactive

But I faced a significant setback this week –

Even as I have taken steps to be more social and engaging

Someone came up behind me at work and struck my chair really hard

Now, this might not be a big deal to most people

However, given the climate and my history – it had a significant impact on me

I had a full-fledged anxiety attack – hands trembling and an endless flow of tears

I was so disappointed – in my reaction

Understand, I did nothing wrong.

The wrong was on the part of the individual who struck my chair.

Yet – I was disappointed because it felt like I took three steps backwards

Immediately, I could feel the walls going back up

But then I had to remind myself of my goals and of all the progress I have made

Therefore I have decided – I will not let Friday’s incident veer me off course

I will continue to march forward – unmoved by the enemy’s attempt to derail me

There is more of this year out ahead of me than what has passed

Perhaps you have faced some challenges with goals you have set for yourself this year

There is more of this year out ahead of you than what has passed

And so I offer this reminder –

No matter what may happen, no matter what ‘they say’, no matter what you tell yourself

Remember, at all points, and despite any challenges this year

You are –

Perfectly Purposed

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart’

Jeremiah 1:5

Timelessly Treasured

‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness’

Jeremiah 31:3

Sovereignly Selected

‘You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.’

Isaiah 41:9

Divinely Defended

'Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God; I will defend you.’

Isaiah 41:10

‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper’

Isaiah 54:17

There is more of this year out ahead of us than what has fallen in the rear-view window

Keep marching forward!

Praying You Have a Blessed Day

Wishing You Much Love …

MARCH 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today is a day of great celebration for many – a day of national pride for many Irish. However, that is not the primary or traditional reason St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in my family.

Today – MARCH 17 – is my Nana’s birthday! And although she passed away when I was 10, I love her every bit as much today as I did then.

When I was growing up in Boston, MA … March 17^th was a local holiday

My mom use to tell me we had the day off from school because we were celebrating my Nana’s birthday. And I remember thinking, ‘My Nana must be something pretty special for them to shut down the whole city.’ I think I was in third grade  before I found out the truth. 

I guess technically my Mom was not lying – that is why she celebrated March 17^th.  However, she also – as a tradition – incorporated some very Irish traditions: We always had corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. It is what we are having for dinner in my house tonight. And, I also have some Irish Soda Bread. Yum!

Not all traditions are bad. However, the true message of St. Patrick’s Day often gets lost in all those traditions. It is frequently overlooked the fact that St. Patrick was taken to Ireland as a slave and eventually played a substantial role in carrying the gospel to the Irish people.  A slave turned missionary  … that is noteworthy.

Interestingly enough, this aspect of St. Patrick’s Day is more aligned with the celebration of my Nana’s birth and life. She was an amazing woman of God! She loved her husband. They were married over 50 years and did not separate until she went home to heaven. She loved her children, she consistently provided for her family, always extended a helping hand to neighbors and established a firm foundation of faith for her family and grandchildren. This legacy of faith has continued – the roots which she established continue to grow, bearing fruit in the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren to this day.

A LEGACY OF FAITH –

Faith in the One True and Living God,

Facilitated by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ,

And empowered by the Holy Spirit;

That is something to celebrate!

Therefore, in the tradition of honoring my grandmother and honoring the memory of St. Patrick, I leave you with this:

A Prayer For You ...

 Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!

DON'T BE YOURSELF ...

Happy Friday!

I pray your week went well and that you are settling into your weekend

Me? I am sick, sick, sick! I feel absolutely miserable. I have the flu!

However, I find myself thinking about all the hurting people in the world

At the top of this year, I wrote a post simply titled 'You're Not Yourself ...'

In that post – among other things – I talked about some of the unusual behavior you might encounter when dealing with broken people:

YOU ARE NOT YOURSELF … WHEN YOU ARE BROKEN … OR HURTING

But what do you do when those you must stay in the flames for are the same who pushed you in [or stoked the fire while you were going through]?

FIRST –You take a moment to remind yourself that people are not themselves when they are broken or hurting. Remind yourself that pain can make people act in ways that might be completely contrary to your preference and completely contrary to their nature in normal circumstances. Take time to remember times when you have been hurt or broken; times when you have uttered a harsh or impatient word or acted in a manner outside your normal character.
 THEN –You stick with the task at hand, follow the lead of the faithful individuals that walked before us and continue your trek through the flames until someone [or multiple some ones] are able to see Jesus for themselves, are able to receive salvation for themselves, are able to receive comfort for themselves, are able to walk in newness of life for themselves.
 LASTLY –Remember – it is never solely about you.

This does not mean that you become a doormat for people – or that you subject yourself to repeated abusive treatment. You can continue to walk through the fire, forgive people and love them from a distance [if needed].

WELL, OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS – this subject has become especially real as I have had individuals contacting me on social media under assumed names.

My heart breaks for these people who seemingly have nothing better to do with their lives

My heart breaks because I know that the LORD created them with purpose;

He designed them to be so much more than they have become

NOW – I will not lie and say I did not have some choice words

BUT THEN – I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit

It is not in our nature to be selfless and caring – that is a result of the fall

To overcome this flaw of humanity – it requires the work of His Holy Spirit living in us

UNDERSTAND – It is not within our capacity or responsibility to FIX BROKEN PEOPLE

HOWEVER – We are called to love them and to pray for them

YOU SEE – WE CANNOT BE OURSELVES WHEN ENCOUNTERING BROKEN PEOPLE

DON’T BE YOURSELF – YOUR NATURAL SELF.

RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE:

As I stated earlier, I currently have the flu – My body is aching, head is hurting [I have an excruciating headache!], throat is sore, nose is stuffy and running at the same time [for the life of me, I will never figure that one out or understand how it is possible]. My ears are clogged – they ache! And, my temperature is all over the place as my body attempts to fight off whatever has jumped on it. I have spent most of the evening shivering under multiple blankets, heat blaring, wearing a sweatshirt with a scarf around my head.

HOWEVER – as miserable as I feel physically, all I can keep thinking about are all those people who are feeling equally miserable – only spiritually and emotionally.

SO HERE IS MY PRAYER – IN PART:

·         I pray that you would place your trust in Him –

·         And that your faith would not waiver

·         May His Blessing Abound … Exceedingly & Abundantly!

·         May His goodness and mercy follow you always

·         May He go before you and make your way smooth

·         May He heal every hurting place in your heart and mind

·         May He bless you with wisdom, favor, joy and peace at all times

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening

Y’all Pray for me too …

‘If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same … But love your enemies, and do good … expecting nothing in return…’

Luke 6:32-33, 35