HUMILITY TEST

2 Chronicles 7:14 

If My people who are called by My Name will HUMBLE themselves, and PRAY and seek My Face, and TURN from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and HEAL their land.

Over the years I can see where God allowed opportunities for me to HUMBLE myself to His Way of DOING things over what I FELT was the RIGHT thing to do.

One way was ALLOWING GOD to handle my concerns for my child over trying to STEP IN and BE God for the moment.

It may have been the chores I've REPEATEDLY asked to be completed. Maybe the talking back that I THOUGHT was disrespectful. Even the defiance of having visitors in our home when I was not there.

But oftentimes when I would be READY to DISCIPLINE HARSHLY, (if I took a moment to bring my concerns to the Lord and NOT LET anger/fear over take me), He would REMIND ME...

"I'M STILL IN CONTROL. Do you REMEMBER HOW YOU LEARNED? Remember what you did at that age?"

Sure enough when I took my hands off of it and acted/disciplined my child GRACIOUSLY and LOVINGLY instead of TRYING TO STAY IN CONTROL by DOING WHAT I FELT would be an IMMEDIATE CORRECTION to the situation...I SAW a change in my child's action. 

Most of our tests will take place right in our homes using our family members/those close to us to HELP us SEE OUR issues.

Let's take a moment to PRAISE GOD for the BLESSING of being HUMBLED during this Parenting journey...because it's BRINGING FORTH the BEST in us for God's Glory! 

STAY BLESSED!

~ALH, Always LOVING Him/Her'

Help My Unbelief

John 20:24-31(MSG)

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I SEE the nail holes in His Hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in His side, I won’t BELIEVE it.”

26 Eight days later, His Disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the LOCKED doors, stood among them, and said, “PEACE to you.”

27 Then He Focused His Attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. DON'T BE UNBELIEVING. BELIEVE.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with YOUR OWN eyes. Even BETTER BLESSINGS are in store for those who BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-REVEALING signs than are written down in this book. These are WRITTEN down so YOU will BELIEVE that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of BELIEVING, have REAL AND ETERNAL LIFE in the way HE PERSONALLY REVEALED it.


We as Moms will only be Fruitful in our lives and our family's lives when we LEARN to MOVE on the things God has REVEALED to us PERSONALLY! We stay STUCK in the things we KNOW aren't working when we have not TAKEN THE TIME to SEE what God has to SAY about it and BELIEVE!

Have you taken time to SEE what God has to say about your finances, the school your children attend, the work that keeps you from your family, and or that man you are dating??? God KNOWS it ALL and will REVEAL what is needed for your EVERY situation when you have the FAITH to BELIEVE what He Says OVER what you can see with your physical eyes!

With PRAYER for Guidance, take some time to SEARCH the Scriptures for topics that you want to see Fruit in your lives. Use a concordance, websites (biblegateway.com is a good start) and a journal to note what God is REVEALING to you...then MOVE when it has been REVEALED to you! 

~ALH, Always LOVING Him/Her'

FAITH...Can Get It Done!

I recently had to do some HANDY work around my house! Leaky bathtub faucet, broken sink stopper, and a couple of malfunctioning light switches. There is a sense of JOY that comes to me when I am able to accomplish a seemingly IMPOSSIBLE task...at least in some misguided male mindsets. 

I'm so glad I took the INITIATIVE and FOLLOWED THROUGH with OBTAINING a diploma in Property Maintenance and Repair a few years ago when I was IN-BETWEEN positions. It has proven to be VERY USEFUL and a major BLESSING...as a HOME Owner!

See after a few BAD episodes with some so called "good" handymen, I DECIDED I wanted to LEARN the skill for myself...in hopes of NEVER having to be taken advantage of again for Home Repair! 

BELIEVE me FAITH WORKS...once you MOVE by it! 

I BELIEVED and TRUSTED God was a GOOD God...He Provided WITHOUT FAIL...once I SHARED my frustrations, my HEART with Him and ASKED Him to HELP me! 

Only by the Grace of God was I actually one of the FEW women to complete the program as well as be AWARDED TOP Trades-person for my GRADUATING class. But the BEST PART is that it was ALL at NO COST to me except for SHOWING UP and putting in the WORK needed! 

Now isn't that just like GOD to take the most UNLIKELY student and make her the HEAD and NOT the tail among LIKELY candidates and PROVIDE the money for the program all in one?

You too are meant to SHOW the Glory of God through your MOVE OF FAITH!

What has YOU frustrated? What would YOU like to SEE take place? What FAITH MOVES do YOU need to take to make it happen? God has brought it to YOUR ATTENTION so YOU can DO SOMETHING about it...but will YOU MOVE on it???

Again, I say to You...BELIEVE me FAITH WORKS...once you MOVE by it! 

LIFE LESSON: NEVER LET MONEY dictate your DREAMING, LEARNING & GROWING...GOD is SURE TO PROVIDE it...along as it is part of His Plan for You and will BLESS OTHERS!

LOVE...has FAITH that MOVES!
ALH, Always Loving Him/Her'

LEADING WITH POWER

Ephesians 6:9-11 (AMP)

9 You MASTERS, ACT on THE SAME [principle] TOWARD THEM AND GIVE UP THREATENING AND USING VIOLET AND ABUSIVE WORDS, KNOWING that HE Who IS BOTH THEIR MASTER AND YOURS is in heaven, and that there is NO RESPECT OF PERSONS (no partiality) WITH HIM.

10 In conclusion, BE STRONG IN THE LORD [be EMPOWERED THROUGH your UNION WITH HIM]; DRAW YOUR STRENGTH FROM HIM [that strength which His Boundless Might Provides].

11 PUT ON GOD'S WHOLE ARMOR [the armor of a HEAVY-ARMED soldier which God supplies], that YOU MAY BE ABLE SUCCESSFULLY to STAND UP against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

As Single Moms, we can sometimes be short on time and end up being IMPATIENT with our children. Just because WE WANT something done NOW, does NOT mean our children understand it. In the process of TRYING to GET IT DONE when WE WANT, God still wants us to ACT in a way that is LOVING to our children and PLEASING to Him!

We may resort to tactics that are NOT KIND, that are THREATENING & ABUSIVE in nature, just to make our children MOVE towards what we want in the moment but are NOT BEST from God's Perspective!

We as LEADERS of our homes must LEARN to BE STRONG IN THE LORD and IN the POWER of HIS MIGHT...by CONTINUALLY PRAYING and TRUSTING GOD to MOVE our children in their HEARTS as we CONTINUE BEING GOOD EXAMPLES of God in front of them until HE CHANGES them.

Are YOU WILLING to WAIT for GOD to MOVE or will YOU TRY to MOVE them through your threats/abusive words SET UP by the enemy of your soul? CHOOSE THIS DAY WHO YOU WILL SERVE! ~ALH, Always LOVING HIM/Her

TURN THE LIGHT ON

John 1: 1-18 (MSG) THE LIFE-LIGHT
"1-2 THE WORD was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. THE WORD WAS GOD, in READINESS FOR GOD from day one.

3-5 EVERYTHING was CREATED THROUGH HIM; NOTHING—not one thing!—CAME INTO BEING WITHOUT HIM. What came into existence was LIFE, and the LIFE WAS LIGHT to LIVE by.The LIFE-LIGHT blazed out of the darkness; the darkness COULDN'T put it out.

6-8 There once was a man, his name JOHN, SENT BY GOD to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life HE brings into Light. HE WAS IN THE WORLD, the world was there THROUGH HIM, and yet the World DIDN'T even notice.He came to HIS own people, but they DIDN'T WANT HIM. 

But WHOEVER DID want him, WHO BELIEVED He was who He Claimed and would DO what HE SAID, He made to be their TRUE SELVES, their CHILD OF GOD selves.These are the GOD BEGOTTEN, NOT blood-begotten, NOT flesh-begotten, NOT sex-begotten.

14 THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND BLOOD, AND MOVED into the neighborhood. We saw the GLORY WITH OUR OWN EYES, the ONE-OF-A-KIND GLORY, like Father, like Son, GENEROUS inside and out, TRUE from start to finish.

15 John pointed HIM out and called, “THIS IS THE ONE! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. HE has always been ahead of me, has always had the FIRST WORD.”

16-18 WE ALL LIVE OFF OF HIS GENEROUS BOUNTY, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses,and then this EXUBERANT GIVING AND RECEIVING,This ENDLESS KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING—

ALL CAME THROUGH JESUS, THE MESSIAH.

No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This ONE-OF-A-KIND God-Expression, WHO EXISTS AT the very HEART of the Father, has made HIM PLAIN as day."

Our LIFE CHANGES for the BETTER (inwardly first) as we BELIEVE in what HE SAYS! We've done it all BEFORE...WITHOUT Him...and can SEE what a MESS of things we have made on our own. 

Just like FUMBLING AROUND in the dark TRYING to find something...we can't SEE what we are SEEKING too clearly. Oh but when we TURN the LIGHT ON we can SEE the MESS we've made along away when we didn't KNOW what was HIDDEN in the dark. But we are also are ABLE to SEE where we are GOING and FIND what we are SEEKING much FASTER!

You know like...

That MAN you KNOW you SHOULDN'T have gotten involved with just because he paid you some attention that you hadn't felt in awhile.

That credit card/loan that you AGREED TO even though you KNOW you said you were TRYING to get out of debt.

That job you thought would bring in MORE MONEY but is KEEPING you from spending MORE TIME with your family and getting to church.

That decision you made WITHOUT given one thought to ASKING GOD about it because YOU WANTED what YOU wanted at that moment.

Those people you've been spending TOO MUCH TIME with who are helping to LEAD you further from God than TO HIM.
In THIS LIFE...We NEED THE LIGHT...of HIS WORD!.HE makes things SO MUCH CLEARER... more VISIBLE...and QUICKER to FIND!

No More MOVING in the dark for YOU, YOUR FAMILY, or YOUR COMMUNITY...TURN on the LIGHT! LET THE WORD ILLUMINE your path...for what you need to KNOW for YOUR JOURNEY! It all STARTS with HIM anyway...The LIGHT...The LIFE...THE WORD!

~ALH, Always Loving Him/Her 

YOU MUST ACT UPON OUR FAITH TO SEE IT

Hebrews 11:5-7 (MSG)
5-6 By AN ACT OF FAITH, Enoch SKIPped DEATH completely. “They looked all over and COULDN'T find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD APART FROM FAITH. And why? Because ANYONE WHO WANTS to APPROACH GOD MUST BELIEVE both that HE EXISTS AND that HE CARES enough TO RESPOND to THOSE WHO SEEK Him.

7 BY FAITH, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he COULDN'T SEE, AND ACTED ON WHAT he WAS TOLD. The RESULT? HIS FAMILY WAS SAVED. His ACT OF FAITH DREW A sharp LINE BETWEEN the EVIL of the UNBELIEVING world and the RIGHTNESS OF the BELIEVING world. As a RESULT, Noah became INTIMATE WITH GOD.

When you REALLY BELIEVE (have FAITH) in GOD & in WHAT HE SAYS...your ACTIONS will SHOW IT! Are you SAYING that you have FAITH but your ACTIONS SHOW OTHERWISE? Let's SEE!

Here are a few examples...

- You SAY you are BELIEVING God for your future HUSBAND but you step OUTSIDE Of HIS GUIDELINES by FORNICATING (having SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE) with the person you are dating.

- You SAY God is LORD over your life, but you CONTINUE to hang on to that idol/thing HE has CONVICTED you to GIVE UP all because you BELIEVE it is TOO HARD for YOU.

- You SAY you TRUST GOD but won't GIVE TITHE (10% of your income) and OFFERINGS to your local church because you are LOOKING at what the Pastor is driving versus BELIEVING that God will HONOR your commitment to Him OVER what things LOOK LIKE.

- You SAY you are going to be a "Woman of INTEGRITY" but as soon as your boss ISN'T watching you are DOING something you know you would NOT be doing if you were in their VIEWING range.

FAITH is a MOVING BEYOND what we may PHYSICALLY SEE...and BELIEVING what GOD SAYS by ACTING, DECLARING and MOVING towards what HE SEES! It can be scary and OUTSIDE of our COMFORT ZONE but it will MOVE the results you are LOOKING for towards you.

Now, Are you WILLING to have enough FAITH in HIM (not in yourself) to DO IT His Way or not??? Go ahead and ACT UPON your FAITH to SEE what comes of it...surely you know He has nothing but the BEST for HIS BELOVED Daughter!

~ ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

DIE TO SELF

Psalm 139:23-24 MSG
INVESTIGATE MY LIFE, O God, find out EVERYTHING ABOUT ME; CROSS-EXAMINE AND TEST ME, GET a CLEAR PICTURE of what I’m about; SEE for yourself whether I'VE DONE anything wrong— then GUIDE ME on the road TO Eternal LIFE. 

Colossians 3:12 AMP
CLOTHE YOURSELVES, as God’s own CHOSEN ones (His Own Picked Representatives), [who are] PURIFIED AND HOLY AND WELL-BELOVED [by God Himself, by PUTTING ON behavior marked by] TENDERHEARTED pity and mercy, KIND feeling, a LOWLY OPINION of yourselves, GENTLE ways, [AND] PATIENCE [which is TIRELESS AND LONG-suffering, AND has the POWER TO ENDURE whatever comes, with GOOD temper]. 

How often do you EVALUATE your actions? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? Never?

EVALUATING what YOU ARE DOING that NO LONGER FITS who YOU are IN CHRIST can bring NEW LIFE to your circumstances. You can't CONTINUE to DO the things you USED to do, and EXPECT God NOT to DEAL with YOU on it...HE LOVES YOU TOO MUCH! Just because you've ALWAYS done something...DOES NOT mean it is GOOD for YOU!

Sit, Pray, Declare, Meditate on and LISTEN to what God has to say about...

- How you are TREATING your children/family/others
- That MAN/WOMAN you are dating ...
- The CONTROL you LIKE to have...
- Those PURCHASES you are making...
- The MUSIC you are LISTENING to...
- The CONVERSATIONS you are having...
- The PEOPLE you are hanging around...
- The FOODS you are eating...
- WHATEVER HE REVEALS to YOU

...that has to MOVE OUT of YOUR LIFE in order for you to get where GOD PLANS for YOU to GO. You just need to SEARCH the Scriptures on the TOPICS that came to mind as you read this post...THEN LET the Holy Spirit LEAD YOU to what is on the HEART of God and where YOU stand in comparison to His Word to You and THEN OBEY what you HEAR!

STAY BLESSED by MOVING by FAITH! 

ALH, Always Loving Him/Her
Erica Campbell – A Little More Jesus

MOVE TOWARD BETTER HEALTH

Luke 17:19
And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. YOUR FAITH (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) HAS RESTORED you to health.

Mark 5:34
And He said to her, Daughter, YOUR FAITH (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and BE continually HEALED AND FREED from your [distressing bodily] disease.

If you have noticed, I haven't been on the Single Moms Move Mountains Facebook page as often as I used to be. My duties have changed and in HONORING my commitment to the work that I've been given, I must FOLLOW the LAW of the land, during my WORK HOURS, and NOT be on Facebook. I've been on ASSIGNMENT for the last couple of months getting to know FIRST HAND about the Chronic HEALTH issues that are plaguing our communities. I'm WORKING to help EDUCATE and EMPOWER our communities to RISE to a BETTER way of doing things towards their HEALTH. 

I've noticed a few things during this time that I hope will bring some ENLIGHTENMENT for many to MOVE towards better HEALTH in your lives... 

- Many patients CHOOSE NOT to change...even though their HEALTH is telling them differently.

- Many patients BELIEVE that the doctor and their medications will SAVE them...over BELIEVING what the GREAT DOCTOR has to say about their HEALTH.

- Many want the PERKS of a GOOD HEALTHY LIFE but refuse to put in the WORK that is required to have it.

- Many know they have CHRONIC HEALTH issues and WILL NOT do themselves a favor and keep up with at least their routine doctor appointments.

I pray if you have CHRONIC HEALTH issues, that this is NOT your current state of thinking/acting. However, if you fall under any of these observations, recognize TODAY you can MAKE a NEW CHOICE and do something different...so that you CAN HAVE DIFFERENT results than you've been having in the past. Sickness and Infirmity is NOT God's Will for our lives but if we make CHOICES that OPEN the door to these plagues in our lives, we have an ALL-POWERFUL God to help us get back on track by helping us DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.

I believe PROBLEMS/ISSUES ARISE in our lives so that we TOO will RISE to the place where we will get WISDOM on the situation to then OVERCOME it with God's Help. I LOVE YOU too much not to TRY to ENLIGHTEN you to MOVE towards the BEAUTIFUL Life God intends for you to have. But it will REQUIRE you to DO the practical WORK along with the FAITH WORK to get there. I'm just HOPING and PRAYING you LOVE yourself enough to MOVE TOWARD BETTER...and CHANGE your HEALTH for the better!

STAY IN FAITH for your HEALTH!

- ALH, Always Loving Him/HerDonald Lawrence – Healed

I CHOOSE LIFE

Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call Heaven and earth to witness this day against YOU that I have SET BEFORE YOU LIFE and death, the BLESSINGS and the curses; therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that YOU and YOUR DESCENDANTS may LIVE."

I've been eating a salad with EVERYTHING (Daniel Fast approved of course) in it for my lunch and dinner for the past 7 days, and I must say I feel MORE energized than I did the first few days of the fast. So I'm vowing to RECOMMIT to this type of eating THROUGHOUT the year. One day during the fast, I was remembering how I used to "feel" when I use to eat like this REGULARLY along with EXERCISING REGULARLY. God whispered to me..."LIVING FOODS bring LIFE...LIVE!!!"

God tells us to eat the things of the earth, LIVING foods (Genesis 1:29-30) like we are limiting ourselves to doing for this 21 Day Fast (see details here... . However, we often eat/drink foods that bring "death" to our mind, body and spirit because they are made out of "dead" things. Over-processed, over-cooked, man-made/artificial flavors, refined, and heavily laden sugary foods are just that...DEATH to YOU!! They were NOT made for the bodies God gave us...and we see the results of that CHOICE in the illnesses and diseases that are plaguing many...mind, body and spirit. We must become GOOD STEWARDS of the housing that God has Given us so we can FINISH the course GOD DESIRES for us to complete on this earth!

I pray you DON'T LET what is popular or the world's way of doing things "rob' you of the LIFE God intends for you to have. Because, these "death" type of items are being WELCOMED by your own CHOOSING...into your HOLY TEMPLE that houses the HOLY SPIRIT. Would you offer "DEAD"CRAP food/gifts to someone you HONOR???

Let's continue this path together of dedicating our bodies, mind and spirit to the THINGS that HONOR and not "grieve" God. He DESERVES the BEST and so do YOU! - ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

EVICTION NOTICE SERVED!!!

Genesis 1:26 (AMP)
"God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."

John 10:10 (AMP)
"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and ENJOY life, and have it in ABUNDANCE (to the full, till it overflows)"

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)

"The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our POWERFUL God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the TRUTH OF GOD, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of LIFE shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity."

I don't know about you but I'm SICK and TIRED of the enemy reigning in so many areas of this earth and in our lives...even though God has GIVEN CHRISTIANS (Christ's Disciples/Followers of Christ) ALL AUTHORITY, POWER, and DOMINION over his wiles, devices and schemes. (Genesis 1:26) But, how many of us are POWERED up in the SPIRIT to do any REAL damage?

A lot of us, as Christians, spend more time, OPENING the door to the enemy like he is a TRUSTED FRIEND than we do OPENING the DOOR to God.  It always amazes me, how the enemy tends to get INVITED to dinner while God is usually WAITING outside the door even though He’s been KNOCKING and ASKING to be INVITED a lot longer. We already KNOW FULL well, the enemy is NOT an EASY guest to get rid of once you ALLOW him in, but we CONTINUE to LET him in willingly. We must remember he's KNOWN for...STEALING belongings...KILLING any sprouts of FAITH with fear...and DESTROYING anything in which he gains access.

So ask yourself...Have you OPENED the door to any of his fake friends that initially LOOKED/SEEMED like a JOY and a BLESSING, but now is more like a leech that is DRAINING the LIFE out of you???

Let’s LOOK at some of his subtle DISGUISES...

- those LOVE SONGS that keep you REMINISCING about that old fling that you know is NO LONGER the Will of God for you...but you KEEP ENTERTAINING the old thoughts as you listen to that type of music and then wonder why you can't seem to MOVE on from the loss.

- that food/drink that you KNOW is causing a SLOW DEATH to your HEALTH, HOME, FINANCES, and YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD every time you decide to GIVE in to those FLESHLY cravings. You've decided, with every LUSTFUL digestion, that you LOVE the IMMEDIATE & TEMPORARY FEELING of it MORE than the LIFE GIVING, LONG-TERM RESULTS it will bring, if you STARVE it out.

 - that friend/family member that is keeping you from a CLOSER RELATIONSHIP  with God because you have allowed them to have MORE CONTROL over you and your time than you have ALLOWED God to have.

- that negative conversation that gets stirred up every time you see or hear of that person you can’t seem to forgive even though you know God says you must. Every time you open your mouth to speak about that person, every bit of venom and bitterness is spewing out of your mouth into your ears and giving energy to that unforgiving spirit over and over again. Instead you should pray a WORD of FAITH for them and over you that will help REPLACE your thinking and feelings with each GOOD and audible WORD seed that is being planted towards forgiveness. 

Often a thing can LOOK and FEEL good for us initially but over time, we find that it has a HOLD on us that keeps us from being CLOSER to GOD and His Will for our lives. Take some time NOW and evaluate what enemy has been INVITED into your life that NOW needs an EVICTION notice. Recognize like a bad tenant, he won't go WILLINGLY but YOU HAVE THE POWER to REIGN over him and his serpents, scorpions, and every other evil imagination and HIGH thing that EXALTS itself ABOVE the knowledge of JESUS Christ!

I Love You and God Loves You Best, 

ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

A Love Like No Other - ALH, Always Loving Him/Her

Judges 16:15
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you' when your HEART is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great STRENGTH lies."

Solomon 2:5,7,10
2 Sustain me with cakes of raisins, Refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick
7 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do NOT stir up nor awaken LOVE Until it pleases
10 My BELOVED spoke, and said to me: "RISE UP, my love, my fair one, And come away."

If you've ever been hurt in a relationship that you gave your all and only to find out, you were the only one really IN the relationship, this is for you! I feel there are many who are hurting from a love that has failed with a man or another that you trusted to fill a void that no person can ever fill. I wrote this poem through one of those such times and I'd like to share it with you to ENCOURAGE you back to LOVE!

Be Blessed...there is more for you!

A Love Like No Other - ALH, H, Always Loving Him/Him/Her

I Trusted Him...I thought he cared...My heart and soul I truly bared.

I lost myself...thought love was there...but yet still he did not care.

I was honest, I was true...although I gave my all...I still ended up blue.

I didn't understand...What did I do? Was I not enough...for him too?

See it started waaay back when...

when those who were supposed to love me...blew me off again...

Another job, another thing...no affirming did it ever bring.

For they were only doing what they knew...'cause you see it was done to them too!

I needed love....needed confirmation...

starving for hugs...just some validation.

Yet it never came...it least not how I thought it should.

But somehow God worked it out...as only He could. 

He needed that void to be created...

so that when I met Him...it couldn't be underrated. 

Yes He Loved me too much to let me be too dependent...

on someone that would never bring about His Holy Descendant. 

Now, I see it was all meant to be...I was chosen...

to endure the pain...all for a much greater gain...

To help set other captives free...those who would endure later…

yes, after me. 

Now my mess is my message, my pain is my purpose...

How great is my understanding…now that I know this.

My test is now my testimony...my agony now my anointing…

No need for any blame…or needless finger pointing

'Cause God's Love has been beyond measure...

It surely has been my Life's Greatest Treasure!

He's the One that I could never trade, for all that has ever been made.

See, My Joy is full...My cup runs over...no need for any outside lover. 

He truly is the Lover of my soul...the only One meant for that empty hole. 

And now I can say I am truly FREE...'Cause no one else could LOVE me any better than He!

Walking By Faith

May I ask you a question? Are you REALLY walking by FAITH??? I had to ask myself this recently when I was thinking about going back to a situation I SAID I would be giving up. Yeah I said to myself, "I'm an ALL or NOTHING kinda of girl, I'm just going to stay SINGLE MINDED...so I'll just shut the door and not look back. I only want to FOCUS on what God wants me to do and nothing else!"

Now that sounds all well and good while you are living in the comfort of a bank supply, food on the table and NOT REALLY facing any major difficulty in any area or your life. But when we COMMIT ourselves to doing things GOD'S WAY...He will allow us to go THROUGH the test to PROVE we meant what we said...NOT for His sake but for OURS...it shows us WHO we REALLY are. During this season EVERYTHING you have ever RELIED upon will be PULLED away from you so that you will have to HAVE FAITH in God and NOT in yourself or anything else. It's truly a FAITH BUILDING season...and if you don't realize this, you will begin DOING what you were used to doing before you COMMITTED to it...HANDLING things yourself!!!

Yeah you THOUGHT you were a WILLING servant, you THOUGHT you were OBEDIENT, you THOUGHT you were SUBMITTED to God. However, how would you REALLY know until you actually have to GIVE UP what is COMFORTABLE for you and TRUST God at HIS WORD??? FAITH requires a RISK...a RISK to STEP out even when it LOOKS different than the norm...a RISK to face your fears and be BOLD for what is in your HEART...a RISK to LOOK to GOD as YOUR SUPPLIER in EVERY THING...a RISK to ignore the outside comments from those who are NOT use to seeing you in this situation! See, MOST aren't WILLING to go THROUGH the UNCOMFORTABLE stage!!! 

During this season, you'll be asking yourself, "What Lord, you want me to GIVE UP my nice good paying job to stay home and raise my children/grandchildren instead of having someone else do it so I can be sure I am instilling the values you have for our family vision?" "Oh you want me to begin taking in other children in my neighborhood to be a Spiritual example to them because they don't have a Godly example around them even though it seems there isn't enough for my own family?" "You say what God? You want me to take in that DIFFICULT relative and show YOUR LOVE to them regardless of how they act?" "You want me to forgo surface riches for internal riches during this season just to show Your Glory???"

God is so good that He begins to CONFIRM His Answer to you with each daily situation that shows up in your life that reminds or refers you back to His Word to you. FAITH can seem scary when you are first stepping out...the steps are a little slower paced and steps are on your toes...but as you begin to "SEE" that He has you EVERY step of the way, you become more confident and full footed in your steps. Kinda like that baby that is beginning to walk, who is pulling up on tables, holding on most of the time and then wanting something begins letting go without realizing what they are doing.

So today I ask you, WHAT has God been CALLING you to take a RISK on that you keep REASONING and trying to FIGURE out all the details before you DO IT? You know it takes FAITH to get you where God wants you to be in His Plan of the GOOD and BLESSED LIFE...but you have to be WILLING to go through the FAITH-BUILDING process to get to the other side. You already know INTELLECTUALLY that God is FAITHFUL, PROVIDING, and GRACIOUS to you but now it's time to EXPERIENCE Him on a NEW LEVEL! Go ahead and take the LEAP of FAITH...remember "we WALK by FAITH and NOT by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7), right??

Trust God & Obey Him...Then Watch Him Change Things!!!

Proverbs 3:5-12 (MSG)

^"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this."

If you are going through tough times with your FINANCES and feel like your job is STRESSFUL because of the demands, I want to SHARE my testimony with you to ENCOURAGE you to TRUST GOD...

"I was working at a job where I enjoyed the people but felt like the actual job was bondage to my personality and my time with my family...I had been there for 15 years and still was NOT able to get normal day hours or weekends off to get to church or do some of the family things that children need to enrich them spiritually and be consistent outside of the norm.I worked for a well-known industry which I THOUGHT was the best choice at the time because of the AMOUNT OF MONEY my hourly rate was SUPPOSED to pay. It LOOKED good only until I realized there were union dues, higher taxes, and MORE STRESS than wanted. 

So when I had had enough of the job dictating my life...I began GIVING AWAY my SUNDAYS to those who wanted to work more to make extra money...(since there was no overtime at the time), and I began PUTTING GOD FIRST in EVERYTHING...my time, my talents, and my treasures (money or anything else we value) I did it for almost two years and SUDDENLY God CHANGED my situation where I had the FREEDOM to worship and honor Him without being bond to a job format as I knew it.

Now the situation He used to MOVE me out of that job DID NOT LOOK pleasing because it came in the form of my father dying, me resigning from the job, and not knowing how I was going to get funds to pay my mortgage and other bills I was barely able to make on time....BUT GOD BLESSED me anyway allowed me to be HOME with my daughter the last year of high school...FOCUS on HIS WORD and STUDY and be able to enjoy life as well....So KNOW THAT GOD does NOT come as WE THINK He will...His Thoughts are always ABOVE our thoughts and His Ways are always ABOVE our ways!

God has KEPT ME through these last three years where I have had to TRUST HIM to provide EVERYTHING and MOVE as HE LEADS me to go. He is FAITHFUL and HAS PROVIDED...not to the level that I'm used to but I have what I NEED and I KNOW Him like I never knew Him before. So I say all of this to let you know to SEEK GOD for everything going on in your life and then OBEY HIM...it's WORTH it...'cause HE DOES KNOW more than we do!!!!

I Love You but MOST IMPORTANTLY God LOVES!!!

Apryl

P.S. Let this song encourage you until you see God bring it to pass for you...

Isaac Carree feat. James Fortune – But God

Keep Calm and LOVE Your Children

Ephesians 4:31-32
"We must REMOVE all bitterness, rage, anger, threats, and insults, with all malice. You must practice being kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving, one another, just as God through Christ has graciously forgiven you."

 I remember letting some of the simplest things set me off to yell or say something I would regret when I was trying to do it all as a single mom. I already had anger issues from my childhood that had NOT been healed yet and of course my child caught some of that as she was growing up. Now in hindsight, I see where if I had a better relationship with God I may have been able to safeguard my child from some of the hurt I'm sure was planted through my improper actions at the time of frustration.

But PRAISE GOD He is a REDEEMER of all that may have been stolen or lost....a GOD of GRACE where we are weakest. My child is now a more controlled parent because of her encounters with the "Old" me. Now with a more mature understanding from those experiences, I can say my grandchild is reaping the benefits of a more patient and less frustrated person.

I'm saying all of this to let you know that all though we fall short sometimes with our children, we can still REDEEM ourselves by being the MORE MATURE person to go and APOLOGIZE for our actions when it happens and to recognize they do not have the same experiences as you to do. This realization may help you to NOT be so REACTIVE in a moment of frustration. Also, think about if God did that same thing to us when He was frustrated with us. You can pray and mediate on the LOVE Chapter (1 Corinthians 13) to help STRENGTHEN you in the Spirit in order to fully walk in victory. But until then, REMEMBER TO just KEEP CALM...and LOVE YOUR CHILDREN...this too shall pass!
Kelli Williams – Love Wouldn't

Beauty Is Your Name

1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles, and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather it should be that of your INNER self, the unfading BEAUTY of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

I've been noticing how so many women/girls seem to be overtaken by LOOKING a certain way more than BEING CERTAIN of the One Who is LOOKING for a relationship with them. Our TRUE BEAUTY comes from above and no amount of outer appearance will be able to cover up an inner void only meant to be feed by the ONE who made us...GOD! So today I want to share a short story I wrote last year that may help you with evaluating if you are relying on your outer beauty versus your inner beauty. I hope it INSPIRES you to be set FREE...

"I was listening to a song that I use to love to play over and over again – “Beauty” by Dru Hill. There is a part in the song that says, “Cuz my eyes have seen the glory, in the coming of your smile… Walks by me every day, her and love are the same. The woman that's stolen my heart, and Beauty is her name. I'm hoping I can make you mine, 'for another man steals your heart, and once this Beauty is mine, I swear we will never be apart.” Then, the scripture 1 Peter 3:3-4 came to mind, 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles, and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather it should be that of your INNER self, the unfading BEAUTY of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.'"

Just in those few moments, I noticed the contrast between God’s view on beauty and the world’s view on beauty.  See everything the singer was singing about had EVERYTHING to do with outer appearance without any reference to the inward beauty of the woman. Sure he saw the beauty of her smile but what did he really know about her other than her outer appearance. Yet he sings that she has stolen his heart and he swears they will NEVER be apart just by her outer beauty.

I remember days when I thought my outer appearance was all that I needed to attract the kind of man, I hoped to marry and live happily ever after. After a few bad episodes with some male fool’s gold, I had to re-evaluate my initial thought. All that seemed to glitter in their lives was definitely not gold. I also was looking at appearances when I was selecting them to date. Men who on the surface had all the right words, appeared to be secure financially, seemed trustworthy in character, appeared to love me and look out for my best interest.

I remember one man telling me if I was his woman I would not be doing this or that. Another telling me if I kept doing whatever it was he didn’t like, that he was going to trade me in for a new model. Then the most memorable act of disrespect was the blatant lie to my face about the woman I could clearly see he was taking on a date.

Some men can make a woman feel like she needs to change this or change that if she is not secure in who she is, but mostly it has to do with how we see ourselves or feel about ourselves prior to any man coming along. We think that the outer beauty is the only thing he will see but we also carry an inner image that is just as evident as the outer image.

Maybe you are thinking you need to have sex with him to keep him, or you need to have bigger breast because he always seems to talk about that as a joke around others, or that you shouldn’t confront him about his wandering eye when you are with him. Take these actions as warning signs that it is time to move on.

Get to know yourself by getting to know God better. When you know what God says about you, no one else can come along and make you doubt what you know for sure. If your relationship with God is not in order, your relationship with anyone else will not be in order.

Outer beauty or any other thing will not be the glue to hold anyone together. We must have the radiant LIGHT of God in us to even attract the type of people that God would have for us. When we have the TRUE INNER BEAUTY of a gentle and quiet spirit it is only by way of the intimate time we have invested with the One who is Ultimate Beauty.

One thing that set me free from trying to manipulate attention towards my outer beauty rather than allowing my inner beauty to validate who I was, I began asking myself some inner questions to help me make decisions regarding my actions:

     1)      Why am I doing this?

     2)      Is this really who I am or am I masking a part of me when I do this?

     3)      How do I feel about myself right now?

     4)      How will I feel about myself after I do this?

     5)      Does this action value who God made me to be?

     6)      Am I devaluing the standards God as set for me to follow?

     7)      Whose approval will I gain with this action...God’s or someone else?

     8)      What does God’s Word say about this?

Beautiful and Beloved one,  you have all the beauty you need as you apply the BEAUTY of God’s Word to your heart and allow it to transform your inner self to a radiant beauty that exudes outwardly. No amount of outward appearance will be able to compare to the attractive beauty of a women exuding the Light of God from within. So allow God to pour His beauty into you then you will later be able to display His beauty to whomever He places in your path…Oh yes, Beauty is your name!

To read more about TRUE BEAUTY, go to... http://cindylumpkin.org/2012/08/in-search-of-true-beauty/