Ugly 6 Letter Word

Good Monday To You!!

Have you ever heard this ugly 6 letter word, submit? I think I heard a collective Booooooooo.  That’s ok because I feel you.

Here is the issue whether single or married; we all must submit.

The Bible (Yes the Bible) says:

Jam 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1Pe 5:5

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Eph 5:21

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Submit: to give over or yield to the power or authority of another (Someone did not like that, secretly I ain’t feeling it either.)

For singles and marrieds, submission is first to God and then to those he places in authority. (This is not blind obedience that serves even evil for the sake of submission.  It is serving the greater purpose of God’s plan even when it scares us or we don’t understand…… Yes, there is a difference.)  If you are married the authority after God is your spouse. There are also various scriptures about submission of a wife and husband in marriage.

Submission to God sounds beautiful and easy but it’s not.  It requires trusting Him.  That can be scary.  Especially if we have had a history of abuse, loss, hurt, neglect, abandonment, etc.   Our past wounds can really make it hard to trust God. They can even mean that secretly we are still angry with God for letting it happen; letting us do it; not stopping it; not healing; not saving, the list goes on.  It is very difficult to submit in surrender when we don’t trust God.  It all requires a process of healing that I know all to well (Pray for ya girl cause I had issues with God).  However, as we go through the process of healing and forgiving God we most likely will come to 2 conclusions:

1. God really does want good for my life.  He is even working the bad out for my good. (Romans 8:28, sucks at first but later I got and I know it to be true.)
2. Why does God allow bad things to happen? Answer: because He allows humans to have freewill. If we have freewill we have the ability to make wise, good and stupid, ugly choices that can effect others.  If our choices cannot be carried out, we do not actually have freewill. God gave us a choice (Deut. 30:19), we must choose life even when death comes against us. (As for the death of the young or innocent and the like, these things cannot be given a simple explanation, only the rest of God knowing that He sees further, loves deeper and wants better for us and those we love than we do.)

Submission is largely about trust.  This usually comes from a brokeness developed by watching our efforts to control life, ourselves and our families, fail miserably.  We learn to submit when we see that life and people are bigger than our hands and plans.  It’s not giving up; it’s giving in to a plan bigger than our finite understanding.  It is learning to cast our cares on God trusting that He cares for us, more than enough to take care of us.  Submission takes us from fighting against the tide of God to flowing in concert with Him (Act 5:39, here is a secret, your arms are to short to fight with God).

[Tangent:  Eph. 5:22, Col. 3:18 are often used as forms of abuse against women by male dominated churches and insecure men.  This is not to attack but to point out that submission requires strength of character and if scripture is used to beat a woman down, what you will have will not be true submission because it won’t be out of strength.  Instead, you will have fear, deceitfulness, resentment, anger, a weakened soul and religious motions without a worshipping heart. In which case, she might as well not be saved because she is an unwilling prisoner not a surrendered and adoring heart.  God wants surrender in obedience not fear driven sacrifice.  A woman who feels loved, served and honored by her husband is happy to submit because she knows she can trust her husband.  A man cannot truly serve his wife, love her, honor her or trust her until he is submitted to God himself and then submitted to his wife (Eph 5:21 Don’t ask for what you won’t give.).   That does not take his role but instead broadens it.  Sounds strange but in a nutshell, submission earns submission.  Lead your house into order by being in order with God first.  A Leader, true leader, is a servant 1st.  He knows that he is only the leader because others are willing to follow, not forced to follow. Same goes for domineering, manipulative women, quit that, it is sooooo unattractive and it makes it hard for your children to respect you or your mate (submission earns submission and respect gets respect).]

God asks for submission to get us to work with His plan.  He knows what’s best for us.  We just have to work on our trust issues enough to get to the places He wants to bring us.  Don’t take it as a sentence but instead, an assignment.  You submit to your boss and work and you ain’t got a clue about how they feel about you or the true extent of their authority.  This is omnipotent and eternally loving God who wants to put you on His team.  That ugly 6 letter word ain’t really all that ugly, just uncomfortable.  Let’s go baby and get’er done!!

God bless you and keep you. Talk to you next Monday, Lundi, Lunes 😀

Life, Love and Learning to You,

Good

Me, My Four and No More

Hey Folks, It’s Monday but I ain’t my normal happy self. (Sorry folks this is going to be a rant.)

Gal 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

I Cor. 12:13, Eph 3:5-10, John 10:16, Rom 10:12-15, Rom 3:29, Eph 2:13 – 17 and many more.

I was recently speaking with some people of a certain shared culture and noticed that they really did not care for those of other cultures.  This upset me greatly!  I am a woman of a multicultural background and proud of it but, it makes me angry when I see people only care for those that they share a heritage, culture, language or whatever with (especially in the church!).  This is unacceptable!  We can no longer afford a me and mine mentality!  We are thee Body! One family, one people, one BLOOD (The blood of Jesus Christ), regardless of the culture, social class or financial status we originate from we are now connected 1st to the this Family of Christ!  All else is a distraction from the truth of Christ.

It is sickening to think that there are those who would try to propagate their agenda on the back of one culture’s struggle but care not one iota for the people upon which they profit.  That is ideological slavery!  It is twisted!

Here is my point my short and sweet: Honestly care about people more than your own agenda!

As Christians we are called to love! If we only love those that we have culture, language, money, etc in common with we are not loving and therefore not Christlike.  That is a violation of the commandments of Christ:   And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30&31 KJV)

Our neighbors are not only those that look like us or talk like us or come from our country or have our background.  Our neighbors are all mankind…..And if God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), how dare we be!  Racism, Classism, Sexism and a bunch of other isms, have been tolerated in the church far, faaaaarrrrrrrrrrr too long!  It must die and die now!  We are commanded to LOVE not segregate! All this garbage about black churches, white churches, latino churches, chinese churches, whatever with that!  Christ is not divided across color lines! We are supposed to be one as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ONE! (John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.)  WE ARE THE CHURCH! PERIOD. POINT BLANK. EXCLAMATION POINT!

And if you can’t get over my sister’s dark skin or my brother’s blue eyes or my father’s curly red hair or my uncle’s empty pockets or my cousin’s inability to speak the language you like,…..YOU NEED JESUS!

Now that I’m done with the ranting portion………breathe….breathe……breathe………

Let’s relate this to singleness and relationships.  Many people are dating and crossing lines which is beautiful but some neglect to embrace the culture, class, financial background or whatever of those that they date.  While others marry across the lines and neglect to see the background of their significant other as integral to the whole of the person.  We cannot only pick the parts in common but we must embrace the differences as well.  The differences and the similarities are the enriching harmonies to the symphony of life.

Alright I am done for this week. Feel free to comment (if you are negative, I may ignore you, but feel free).

Dance to all the music.

Life, love and learning to you,

Good

Crouching Beauty; Hidden Worship and Art Auction Update

It’s Late on Monday but it is Monday!  Whew Hew and God bless you!!

I want to talk to my ladies today. (Men folks, we will talk about y’all next week. Hang there with me this week ok?) It took me a long time to write because I ran around like a nut this weekend!  But……here it is from my heart to yours.

Gen 1:27

So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Women we have lost the purpose of our beauty.  (And hear me, every woman is beautiful!!) Our beauty is meant to be a reflection of the beauty of God.  We are meant to call people back into remembrance of God’s gentleness, grace, love, passion,  sweetness, care, etc.  We are mobile monuments to His heart.

That being said, Why is it that so many women hide their beauty?  I’m guilty too.  I wore supper baggy clothes throughout most of my high school years; overate frequently; never learned to wear make up; and dressed horribly for my body type for a long time.  I was hiding and suspect that I am not alone.  I knew that men were attracted to beauty and women were jealous of it.  So I hid; I crouched in hopes that if I did not shine at all, somehow I would be treated with respect and not lust; acceptance and not competition.  All my hiding never worked.  And if you are hiding, in weight; in clothing; in food; in horrible men or whatever, it won’t work fo you either.  (You always get what you fear.  Ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing making the situation any better?”)  I was running from lust and rejection but guess what kept coming to me,…lust and rejection because I was unintentionally building my life around them by changing me, neglecting me, anything me to avoid them.  They were my focus.  When I began to focus on the beauty of God’s holiness.  He began by restoring mine.

He showed me that my beauty was not to be ignored, crouched down, or destroyed.  He wants us to be beautiful and to remember that other folk’s reactions to you belong to them not us.  That is their stuff.  It is on their plate let them eat it.  Stop choking on the negative looks, comments, body language, treatment and biases.  Stop trying to crouch down and be less beautiful than you are.  Be You To the Fullness  (Bea u ti ful, get it? :-))  When you are you, the fullness of you (Skinny you, Curvaceous you, Fat you, Tall you, Tiny you, Dark you, Pale you, just You you), you bring God glory and that is the essence of worship.  See our beauty, embraced and cherished by us, as a reflection of God is a hidden form of worship.  (Now hold up heretic hunters, I am not saying worship ourselves but instead thank the Giver for the gift and take care of it.  Love His child because He does.) Love you, lady.  Honor His love for you by being good to you.  Appreciate what He calls beautiful.  No one should ever take a Master artist work and try to trash it. (Hint: God’s an artist, look at the Grand Canyon!  And He definitely put more love it to you than that breath-taking hole in the ground.)  Be good to His treasure and the earthen vessel that bares it.  Stop crouching and stand in the light intended for you.  Give Him glory.  Nelson Mandela said it this way:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our       light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

In the end if we deny our beauty.  We die to the full destiny of who we are created to be.  Be You To The Full!

(What does this have to do with singleness or married life.  If you are crouching as a single, you have not fully accepted the gift and if you are crouching as a married, you, the real you, is not in the relationship.)

I’m done with the soap box for this week.  I’m on to the men next week!

Art Auction Update:

Therosia raised a total of about $500 between online, private donations and the art auction.  She was invited to return the following month to another art show to display her work and perform poetry.  (Check her out at http://www.youtube.com/TrueTherosia ) The amount raised was only 1/3 of what was needed.  However, a grant of $500 for those denied financial aid was awarded to her by email on the day of the art auction bringing her up to $1000 and paying her classes off in total.  Praise Jesus!!!  God is on time because she starts classes tomorrow!

The remaining 1/3 is to pay for books.  So keep praying for her and if you want to continue to promote or donate; her website for donations is: http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=7383&url=therosiastuition .

 

God bless. No stress.  Feel free to comment.  See you all next Monday and thank you for reading.  Have a great week!!

Life, Love and Learning to You,

Good

Good Friends and Art Auction Update

Top of the Monday To ya! (That’s for my Irish folks, love ya fam. Yes, I’m Irish and everything else. lol)

What about your friends?  How long has it been since you spent a good few hours just talking and laughing with a table of friends?  For me, it had been a minute but yesterday after church, some friends and I got together to go over the art auction to raise funds for Therosia’s tuition this semester.  We laughed and talked until we shut 2 different establishments down.  It’s like it says in

Pro 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

It was just so good to laugh and talk and remember and be silly with people who I absolutely enjoy!  I pray that for you.  I pray that God gives you people who you absolutely enjoy and that you are healthy enough to enjoy them while being the true you God created you to be.  I pray that you have a great laugh today and that your heart flows with great joy that is infectious to those around you.  I pray that you laugh until you cry and your side hurts with a silly and merry heart that maintains it’s respect for others and true dignity of respect for self.  God bless you to enjoy life this week.

This life can be so hard and so serious but the love and joy that God wants us to have in Him, is indeed the medicine.  It is a part of our lives as singles and marrieds, that we reach beyond the confines of our home and connect with brothers and sisters who become extended family; to cry with us, to stand with us and definitely to laugh with us.  (Remember, however, that the rejection that we may encounter in the process, is a good thing.  It removes those who are not meant to share in our lives.  Say thank you to God for those who walk away just as much for those who stay.)  Have joy!

Art Auction Update:

The Auction is going forward as planned!  So excited.  We have live music from various artists with a jazz/hip hop fusion set.  Live poetry by Therosia great food, a raffle and more will all be in the building.  If you or someone you know will be in the Phoenix, AZ area please come out or help me promote the event.  There is also an online fundraiser for those who cannot attend but want to help at:

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=7383&url=therosiastuition

Thank you so much for helping and praying.  God bless you all.

Dance a jig of joy for me and I will see you next Monday.

Life, love and Learning To You.

Art Auction and Celebration

It’s Wednesday Folks and I am sooo late posting.

Please forgive me.  The neglect was not intentionally and I have a good reason.  I was working on an important event to help out Therosia Reynolds.  She is an aspiring worship leader and writer.

She has been ill for the past year from fibroid tumors and is now healed but, the year off wreaked havoc on her finances.  So she is having an art auction to cover the upcoming semester.  If you would like more information please contact me at thesinglegoodgirl@gmail.com.  The flyer is connected below.  And next week on Monday, I promise I will be back.

Art Auction Flyer

Considerate and Unoffended

It’s Monday! Whew Hew!

I am gone to make it short this week because it is simple.  Whether we are married or single, we have a challenge before us in our relationships:  To be considerate or not; to be offended or not.

We can choose.  Choose to be greatly considerate and hard to offend.

That does not mean that we grovel or allow abuse (because that is not cute nor God approved). Instead we see the sensitivities of those around us and, as much as is healthy, honor them.  Also that we see the short comings of those around us and understand (sometimes they just didn’t mean it the way we took it).  Give people a chance and the benefit of the doubt.  Our need to self protect can turn into defensiveness that can just hurt those around us.  It’s not fair.  Put the shield down long enough to see what is really going on.

Lastly, some of us are so set on getting ours (Hustle, Shine, Acknowledgements, Dreams, etc.) that we are running over the ones who love us to get it and killing our relationships in the process.  (This is evident when everyone around us feel used more than loved.)  Be considerate.  See the person for who they are more than what they can give, contribute, etc.

Be At Peace :-D. Until Next Monday

Life, Love, and Learning to you,

Good

Very Inspiring Blog Award

It’s Monday Folks!

I want to thank Robin Jean Marie for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  I love your photos, Robin Jean Marie!

The rules:

• Acknowledge and thank the giver, link it back, and put the award on your page.
• List 7 things about yourself
• Pass it on to 7 bloggers who inspire you

7 things about me:

1. I prefer frozen yogurt to ice cream

2. I am a Christian

3. I believe hugs are bursts of love!  (so hug somebody, guaranteed they need it)

4. I think people should be acknowledged at least once a day as a human being (not for sex, money, status, beauty, etc. but

just for being a reflection of God.)

5. I believe we should learn one new thing a day

6. I think atheists, muslims, satanists, buddhists, hindus, taoists, pagans, etc. are smart even though I don’t agree with them.  I believe in respecting their faiths.

7. I love nature, Hallmark movies, Chocolate, hikes, old romance songs and worship.

(Alright now that I said it, everybody erase from your minds of how mushy I am.  I got to practice looking hard. LOL)

 

7 bloggers that I find inspirational.

1.      Robin Jean Marie for her photos, encouragement and wonderful joy
2.      Charmaine for her post, YOU ARE ENOUGH FOR ME – Five Minute Friday
3.      Liana for her post, Grace Mob, I am joining the Grace Mob!!
4.      Steven for his photos, and genuiness
5.      livingtlove for her adverturous spirit and honesty
6.      lesleycarter for her adventures around the country
7.      Prayson Daniel for his bold stand for our faith

 

Thank you again!  See you next week

Life, love and learning,

Good

Single For Life?

It’s Monday!!! Yay 😀

This week I just want to go back and hit a point.  Single for Life sounds like a prison sentence but it is really a distinct journey that none can take except there is a gift within them to do so.

     ¹¹ But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. ¹² For there are some      eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men:      and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. Matt 19:11-12

My point is simple, singleness for life is a gift just like being married is a gift.  Christians often forget this fact and have a tendency to make singles feel incomplete, unworthy, unwelcome and to some extents suspect.  Between not so subtle “hints”; “accidental” and intentional setups; jealous married folks that grab their mates; odd bible quotes and questioning looks, a single can feel that the gift they enjoy is a shroud of shame.  (Which personally makes me want to scream in the middle of conversations, “I’m not interested in your man! I’m waiting for my own!” or “I’m waiting on Jesus! Are you Jesus?!” but honestly that would not be attractive. So I’m not going to have that moment.  Breath….Breath….. Breath….lol.)

For the church to be all we are called to be.  We must embrace all the gifts that are present within the body.  We cannot exalt marriage and demean singleness nor deify singleness and belittle marriage.  Each gift contributes to the whole.  (Let’s not forget that the ratios are unequal between men and women; therefore somebody is coming up short.  And whoever that is needs to be ok with that. “He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”)  We must honor everyone’s journey and allow it to bless the body as a whole.

For singles who are called to singleness for life, that honor must begin with you.  No one can honor your gift if you hide it or doubt it.  Own your singleness!  There is great power and character in knowing that a relationship is not a goal.  It is admirable and encouraging to watch someone pursue Christ and Him alone.  So know your position and play it (i.e. stop flirting with the willing to do workers if you ain’t trying to work with them.  Be courageous.).  Be that!  All of it!

Note From Good:  If you are not sure if you have the permanent gift of singleness, commit this to prayer and counsel (Counsel of wise elders, Christian counselors, (true) ministers or pastors).  One can also take a brief walk through books such as Forever and Always by Dr. and Mrs. Tracy or Boundaries in Marriage by Cloud and Townsend to understand the demands of marriage and gauge whether or not you are even willing to give what it takes.  Remember singleness is a ministry to God but marriage is a ministry to God by ministering to His child in love.  Do some study and know the fullness of both lifestyles.  God will make it clear. I’m done.

Una sangre, Una sola familia! Todos Gentes! Besos! (One blood, One Family!  All People! Kisses!)

Life, Love and Learning to you,

Good

To My Brothers In Christ

This week we’re going to be a little…..um….let’s say serious.  Here goes..

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus.  I write to you from the heart of our Father with the voice of a sister in the faith in hopes that you will receive this with hearts open to hear what Abba, our Father, has to say.

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work.  22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2Timothy 2:21 & 22 KJV

Lust is killing men.  It’s not just the desire for women nor the allure of unfaithful women.  It is also the appetites for so many things.  Most brothers are lost in a world of manhood that defines them by pay, pride, power, possessions, popularity, positions, pals, and playmates.  None of these pursuits fit with the Bible, which connects them to sin and ultimately death.    That means lust is not limited to XXX throw downs and baby got back.  Lust is in the office when promotions are coming up and when they are not.  Lust is manifesting in country clubs and car clubs.  Lust is glaring from the cheap seats and the front row at half court. Most men deal with lust and addiction and are attempting to keep these things secret.  It is to no benefit.  The secret things creep out in actions that are very visible and highly destructive.  The man of character is challenged to see them for what they are, symptoms of a greater illness that can only be cured by filling a greater need.  The cliché answer is, “ You need more of God because you have a God sized hole that only He can fill.”  This is correct.  The problem is that it’s incomplete.

Lust is physical, emotional, social, economical, psychological, and spiritual.  One must be shown how to let God address all areas.  God can definitely fill the hole.  The issue is not deficiency in God but rather a disconnect between God’s will for men and men.  Men are taught to seek for things.  However, the Bible says and pulpits echo, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you _{(Matthew 6:33 KJV)}.”  So many women throw themselves at men; while men are taught according to the Word, “[Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good [thing], and obtaineth favour of the LORD _{(Proverbs 18:22 KJV)}.”  There are dual messages, one encouraging lust and the other disdaining it.  The messages come just as much from church folk as they do from secular folks.  Mouths run a mile a minute with right words, but the actions and attitudes mostly say, “Get on your grind”, “Hustle”, “Take that”, and manhood becomes outlined by short slogans with deeply lustful attachments outside of the Word of God.

But… just inside of the will of Christ, just inside the Word, is this message, “You are precious.”  Sounds like something that should be told to a little girl.  Before you cut me off and write this off as a touchy feely mess, let me explain.  When men are boys, they are told, “Don’t cry”, “Don’t show emotion”, “Don’t love them —-“, and “Don’t be a punk”.  Each one of these lessons strips the little boy of his confidence that someone cares what happens to him.  It destroys his trust and kills the person he would be if he felt valuable enough for his tears to count.  The message is, no one cares enough about you, so you are not allowed to feel anything.  The disconnect between God’s will and men’s ears is here.  Men are missing God’s heart towards them.

Ultimately, what Christ said about mankind can be summed up in love people and respect each person because they are precious to Him.  Precious according to Oxford American Dictionary means an object, substance, or resource of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.  The point is that the value of men makes them precious and that preciousness should not be wasted or treated carelessly.  Lust brings about careless treatment of precious things in the haste to obtain or conquer, not just what is being pursued but also the pursuer.   Carelessness brings about abuse.   The value of men is not in what they have but what they are.  “So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them _{(Genesis 1:27 KJV)}.”  Men, you are a displayed image of the living God.  Men represent His strength, His justice, His authority, His leadership, His voice and so many other manly aspects of God.  You are His sword.

The lusts of this life present a clear danger to men because it abuses them.  It seductively seeks to steal their destinies, kill their purpose, and destroy the fruitfulness of their lives by replacing God.  Lust wants to inject idols into the lives of men in the form of these desired things.  Even to the point of some ministries and marriages becoming objects of lust and thereby, idols.  Consider men today.  Most are dealing with secret bondages to some lust that is abusing them, draining the life from them.  Satan will stop at nothing to wipe out mankind and because men are in the image of God’s authority, satan works hard to have men out of their place.  The great news is that come what may God’s desire will be accomplished. Regardless, the end of things is that God is victorious.  The sobering news is that when men through their own lusts allow satan to pull them off the focus of God, the abuse is not to God’s plan but to the man himself.  It is like an extraordinary sword that becomes dulled, bent, and useless because of abuse in unskilled or destructive hands.  It is like a astonishing stallion that is ran to hard and its heart burst.  It is like a 1967 Ford Shelby GT 500 with the transmission tore up because of horrible shifting.   The great sorrow is not so much that usefulness of the sword, the horse, or the car is gone.  A sword, a horse, and a car, no matter how wonderful, can be replaced and their purpose served by some other.  The tragedy is to that sword, that horse, that car, individually.  The tragedy is that men do not see themselves as precious and naturally valuable, so they don’t guard themselves by seeing all these lusts as a danger to what and who they are.  Men rush head long into the arms of these lust like the welcoming woman of Proverbs 6:26. “For by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.”  My brothers, lust is hunting for your precious life.  She seeks to kill you with the secrets you keep and the desires that try to usurp God’s place in your hearts and lives.  It is painful seeing you damaged, heartbroken, visionless, hopeless, and in the clutches of a destructive enticement.

The way to let God fill the God sized hole that lets lust in, is to expose the hole and the lusts to Him.  In the light of who He and what He is, all idols fall and all shackles are broken.  They must be brought into the light not kept in the dark closets of Internet chat rooms, or secret board meetings, nor ministers’ boards without focus on God.  All of it must be sacrificed.  And it will hurt to have the idol cut from the flesh of your heart but if you would have the love of God over the abuse of lust, kill it.  Bring it before the Lord and ask Him to burn it out of you and replace it with Himself.  It begins with repentance and prayer.  It must be followed with Word, worship and accountability.  You need Godly, Word based; Holy Spirit filled and led men to come along side you.  It is a process of continually doing this but, my brother, you are the sword, you are the stallion, you are the GT.  You must be sharpened, trained, and tuned to recognize lust and guard against it.  It will profit you nothing to gain the whole world and lose your soul.

Note From Good:  In truth this is also very applicable to women and we need to go about the same process.  However, women need to submit ourselves to the accountability of godly women.

Alright I’m putting my pulpit away for the week.  See you next monday

God bless, no stress

Life, love, and learning to you,

Good

 

Your Story of Love (For singles and marrieds)

Happy Monday Funday to You!!

I am in love with stories!! Among my favorite stories to hear and witness are the stories of everyday people. I was talking to my mother this morning about the story of how she got here and mine.  There are some very painful parts and some very beautiful ones but that’s what makes a great story.  It occurred to me that every person has this story of love.  Every person was created in love.  (Yes, some circumstances around conception were not loving, i.e. rape, prostitution, molestation, one night stands, artificial insemination (not that this is like the former), etc.)

The fact is whatever our circumstances, there was love because even in an unwanted pregnancy or single parent pregnancy and even in attempted abortions; someone loved us enough for us to be here.  We are here because our circumstances could not override God’s desire to see you and I experience this life.  We are here and no amount of hurt, hate, halt, haughtiness or hindrance could stop us because the God of all the universe said, “Yes, this child of mine will live.  They shall come forth.”  What does that mean when some of us have experienced hurt, abandonment, hatred, isolation, confusion as a result of that gift of life?  How can we not resent Him for giving some of us lives we would have rather not endured?

We must learn to love our story and recognize it as a story of love.  Yes, sometimes painful but overall beautiful in its own unique way.  When Christ was walking out His earthly ministry, the story of His conception is beautiful but the aftermath is painful, and to some, disgraceful.  For the rest of Jesus’s and Mary’s life they (and the rest of their family) endured the stigma by many, of being seen as a wayward woman and a bastard child.  He was to many “illegitimate”; His mother was defiled and His adoptive farther, Joseph, was ridiculed.  Yet, there was love even the love that drove Him to the cross in humiliation and defeat to the ignorant eye but to the eye that saw the love story greater than all others unfolding, He was a knight rescuing and restoring His damsel’s honor and place.  It was not clear until the ressurrection and the fullness of His story is still not seen.  It is still unfolding, as is ours.  How do you see your story of love?  Are you looking at the middle saying that there is no hope for the end?

Note From Good:

I want to challenge myself and anyone who might read this to take off the goggles of dread this world places on our eyes.  Let us see our lives from an eternal perspective of love. I challenge us to read and  “know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” Romans 8:28 (KJV).  This scripture is immediate and generational.  Let us look at our story not only individually but as a link in a chain of generations (yes even if you do not intend to have children).  We must broaden our scope, so that we will be willing to endure the hardship in faith believing that we will secure a brighter tomorrow for the whole of the body of Christ and the world through our joys and our pains. Besides there is no such thing as a good story without some form of antagonism (Drama).

For singles who are struggling with singleness this means recognizing that this is the middle of the story not the end.  You will find your bride.  You husband will pursue you and the love will be sweeter for the struggle and delay (delayed gratification, look it up or google it).  For singles who are happy being single but still dealing with drama, this is an invitation to press into the victory that you already have over your own flesh and the criticism of narrow-minded folks (i.e. “It’s better to marry than to burn” quoters or “all the good ones gone be gone”. I say whatever with that cause if you jump and get the wrong one you gone get burned and if they’re gone by the time I get there, good it means less to weed out. Sorry that was a rant. My bad).

For married folks,  this means acknowledging that the hardships of marriage play an integral role in building a strong foundation of intimacy through commitment (“This is permanent” mindset). Also for married folks, the adventure of your love and romance needs to be found in the work to get back to each other everyday in the midst of chaos, ease and monotony of monogamy.  In the midst of folks making “additions” to their marriage because “one person can not satisfy”, your challenge is to have a love story full of valor, honor and courage.  That means sacrificing your selfish desires in order to give your family a security and trust that others may never know.

Enjoy your story of love and where you are allowed to write, write well.

Please hit me up, let me know about your story.

Have a great week.  Life, love and learning to you.

God bless, no stress,

Good 😀