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

God's Blessings!

"I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12)

I recently read a statement in a life changing read about Spiritual Discernment, by Roberts Liardon..."The love of God is unconditional, but His blessings aren't!" When I read it RANG SO TRUE in my spirit that I began to realize why SO MANY CHRISTIANS are living beneath God's INTENDED Life...We AREN'T AWARE of the conditions to RECEIVE BLESSINGS or we AREN'T FOLLOWING them. Either way we are LIVING with the MOUNTAIN defeating us instead of us MOVING the MOUNTAIN with the tools God has given us....HIS WORD!!!

So many are TURNED OFF by the WORD of God...(BIG TRICK of the enemy by the way)...to KEEP YOU FROM the BLESSINGS of God...and the bad thing about it is...CHRISTIANS are FALLING for it too!!! We have what we need to be VICTORIOUS in this life, we just AREN'T UTILIZING it for what it was made to do...MOVE MOUNTAINS in our lives and the lives of others by the FAITH that ONLY COMES BY WAY OF THE WORD OF GOD!!!

So I ask you...How MUCH WORD are you getting into your life??? A measly Sunday meal at church is not going to sustain you throughout the week...when YOU ARE STARVING!!! All day long, we are BOMBARDED with all the negative forces around us from the people, music, TV, videos, and whatever else we are ALLOWING into our space to ROB us from a life that is VICTORIOUSLY BLESSED according to God's Standards...all because we AREN'T PUTTING IN THE TIME that is needed to COUNTERACT all of the negative forces surrounding us.

So let me ask you a question, HOW MUCH SPIRITUAL FOOD are you FEEDING yourself each day??? Think about it, the ALL GIVING, ALL LOVING, ALL POWERFUL GOD wants to FILL YOU with MORE of HIM!!! So, why wouldn't you want to FEED on Him??? It's AMAZING to me how we can put so many things before our time with God that can not GIVE us the same Blessings that He can give us...Nothing but PRIDE! Pride that we know better than Him, Pride that we can do it ourselves, Pride that we don't need Him to get everything done...Just plain FOOLISHNESS that the enemy has tricked us into believing and ACTING on this sin.

So what are you going to do about it??? I would recommend and CHALLENGE you put in AT LEAST the same amount of time you put into eating your physical food...for most that's 3x's A DAY...Morning, Afternoon, and Night! Here are the steps I recommend that I have noticed work well for me...

1) You may want to set a dedicated space within your home for your time with the Lord! (This can help in keeping the area holy and sacred for the Lord).
2) You may want to turn on some Praise & Worship Music to awaken the Spirit within you.
3) Be sure to PRAY before you begin your time with reading THE WORD and ask the Spirit to REVEAL to you what He wants you to know during your time together and watch how the WORD will POP OFF the page and prick and speak to your HEART about you and your life situation.
4) You must ALSO be willing to COMMIT TO LISTENING to what is REVEALED to you during this time.
5) Journal your thoughts during your time of LISTENING so that you will have a WRITTEN PLAN of what God has to say to you and what He wants to DO through you.
6) Next, be sure to PRAY for His assistance to do His plan
7) Lastly, get to MOVING Obediently toward God's plan by measurable steps of FAITH (Speaking, Hearing, and BELIEVING the Word of God to you) with action. God will surely BLESS the work of your hands because you have a heart that is diligently seeking Him and willing to do His Plan.

Please don't MISS your moments to be EMPOWERED by God...what better way is there to be EMPOWERED than from the ALL POWERFUL One who is WILLING to GIVE His Gracious Power to YOU if we ask!

Stay in the BLESSINGS Beautiful Ones!

The STORMS of LIFE

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you!" James 4:8

The effects of Hurricane Sandy came through Philadelphia, PA and left us in a windy, rainy, and power outage state. The warnings never really prepare you for the actuality. I'm one who is an overall SAVER...Literally and Spiritually...always putting away for a rainy day...so most of what I needed for the storm I already had on hand...just needed to have it READILY AVAILABLE.

After two power outages and a scramble for all the candles and battery operated flood/flashlights, I realized how much we DEPEND on things...things that really do not amount to a hill of beans in the Kingdom of God. While my household & I sat in the candlelit room trying to FIND the unusual things to do with our now forced QUIET time together, I realized even with the simple things in life, we have all that we need when we STOP and take a moment to reflect on it. 

The time that we usually would be watching TV, surfing the internet, playing with some type of an electronic gadget or on the phone, could be better spent reflecting and talking to God through these storms. We really don't need much for Time with God just the WILLINGNESS to draw closer to Him by READING His Word, the WILLINGNESS to PRAY about what strikes our HEART, the WILLINGNESS to WAIT and LISTEN to what He has to say about it, and the WILLINGNESS to OBEY what He has to say about it.

The Storms of Life have their purpose...they are meant to keep us CLOSE to the One who can get us PREPARED for, AWAY from, or THROUGH the Storms of Life! So I ask you...How much are you DEPENDING on Him Who is Able, Ruler of All Things, and The One Who Never Leaves Nor Forsakes Us? Why not SIT STILL and try it for yourself? I know He will make Himself KNOWN to you when you commit to do it!

"Is Your Love REALLY Love or is it Manipulation?"

(Acts 17:28) - "For in Him we live and MOVE and have our being....We are his offspring."

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8) - "LOVE is PATIENT, LOVE is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love NEVER fails..."

Have you ever tried to get someone to do something you want them to do? Do you believe your actions are best for what you want to achieve? Have a seat and let's examine what may be the root of the issue for this action. 

Quite often we try to move others by our efforts rather than by the efforts of the Spirit. If we are not careful, we may show disrespect to others and to God by not allowing others to be moved in their heart first. Trying to be "Holy Spirit Jr." makes us tired, frustrated, and most of out of the will of God. It proves we are unable to handle what is meant to be done in God's power. If we don't pray and seek God first, we can be tempted to try to manipulate or control others into doing what we want in the time and plan we desire. So why do we do it given the destructive results?

We as women have a big temptation to control things/people in order to get things done in our timing. It is part of the curse placed on us in the garden when God said, "Your DESIRE will be for your husband, and he will RULE over you.” (Genesis 3:16) This scripture shows a biblical example of the submission we are to have towards a higher authority beyond what we want/desire.

There is a reason Self-Control is part of the Fruit of the Spirit. Quite often we try to control others when we are actually called to control ourselves. Maybe we are being called to pray about it instead of say anything about it. Or act loving towards someone who has hurt us. Or maybe patiently listen when we are in a hurry to respond with our answer. Or submit our prayers to the Lord for Him to protect and guide our teenager's choices versus trying to control their every move.

The root of manipulation is fear. Fear that breeds selfishness and power. Fear is an evil lurking in our hearts seeking whom it may devourer. Did you know that manipulation or as the bible calls it the Jezebel spirit is a form of withcraft? Seems a little shocking doesn't it? We don't like to look at for what it truly is. Witchcraft is the practice used to control or have power over others/things. Since God is the only Sovereign being, we were best designed to submit our control over to Him. When we manipulate, we are trying to stand in the place that is reserved for God and His Power.

Manipulation is a tactic of the enemy and will always be revealed for what it is...a deception. When other's realize they are being manipulated the temporary power one believes they have will burn up against the flame of God's Love. Where there is manipulation there is no Peace. There will be evidence of anger, frustration, worry, and all the things that are not part of the Fruit of the Spirit. Peace is from God and is another ingredient of the Fruit of the Spirit. 2 Kings 9:22 tells us, "When Joram saw Jehu he asked, 'Have you come in peace Jehu? HOW CAN THERE BE PEACE,' Jehu replied, 'as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?'”

God often allows frustrations in life as an opportunity to bring us to a point of submission to Him so that we can then be a greater overflow of His Love to others. If this article is speaking to your heart, go before the Lord and ask for His forgiveness and repent. Ask Him to help you to change from this action and begin to reflect the character that looks like His image. Look up scriptures related to Love, control, & power to see what speaks to your heart on the subject. May your search for God's Love enrich and encourage you to a life that has BEAUTY for the ashes of your past actions. STAY in His Blessing!

Serving the Lord With Your Health

We do not lag behind in diligence, we are fervant in spirit, and serving the Lord. (Romans 12:11)

BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits-- Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who BEAUTIFIES, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]! (Psalm 103:1-5 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)." (John 10:10 AMP)


Do you know that you serve the Lord by being diligent about your physical health? Have you noticed when you eat certain things, they have an adverse affect on your mind and/or your body? We must pursue physical exercise, and eating healthy as if we are serving the Lord. Our lack of diligence keeps us from having a body that is energetic, vibrant, and healthy. When we are physically healthy, we can do the work of the Lord with full endurance and power.


Take a moment and take stock of your physical activity and your eating habits. What things need to change? Are you facing ailments? Could you stand to have a healthier blood pressure? Do you eat too many processed, fatty, fried or sugar loaded foods? Sickness is not meant for a child of the MOST HIGH GOD...HE is a HEALER.


I must admit I have not been the best steward of the body God has given me over the last seven to eight years. I let the demands of life distract me from what I know is important. I didn't want to take full responsibility for what needed to be done. First, I said it was stress from a job in which I was not totally happy. Then it was, "I just have to have my chocolate" or "I'm not cooking tonight, let's go to Burger King. At least the burgers are flame broiled". And the big one, "I must be going through perimenopause, because I can't seem to lose any weight no matter how hard I try to stop eating the wrong things."


It's amazing how we can lie to ourselves about what we don't want to do...what we know we should be doing. See the thing is it takes WORK to get the results we say we want. All the talking in the world, and excusing it a way does not change the requirement of discipline, diligence, and determination. Hopefully, we will get sick and tired of living this way and make a conscious effort to get back on the path of Life....the best life God intends for us to have.


So today, we pray to ask God for His power and strength to be victorious and to see His vision for our health. We look up scriptures related to healing, diligence, body, etc. We confess and pray the scriptures out loud. We write out a plan. We commit to the plan. We recognize our weaknesses ahead of time. We have an escape route when we are tempted to help us stay the course. Step by step, we'll be back on the road to better bodies and a better us before we know it. We won't let the enemy steal, kill, or destroy another moment of our lives by continuing down the path of early death. God wants us to have life and to have it more abundantly in every area of our life....especially our health!


Off to get my exercise in. Here's a little motivational music I use to get me started....