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/

Faith Work

James 2:17

So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

Being a Single Mom can be CHALLENGING some times but we must keep our eye on the END...where God wants us to go...by planning to MOVE STEP by STEP in FAITH.

We must PRAY, PLAN, and PURSUE! When we want to ... ACCOMPLISH a goal that LOOKS like it's going to take a lot to get it done, we must be FAITHFUL to it no matter what comes up in our life...because we will always have surprises in life...they are actually sent sometimes to TEST if you will CHOOSE FAITH over doubt, distraction, discouragement, delay, or defeat. We need to know that we are TRUSTWORTHY of the BLESSING we desire.

However, we must FILL our Spirits in the WORD to be STRENGTHENED for the work. FAITH and WORK are companions! You can have all the FAITH you want but without APPLYING the FAITH what good is it??? Conversely, you can have all the WORK efforts but without the FAITH to go with it you will burn yourself out with SELF EFFORT. The key is to COUPLE/MARRY your FAITH with the WORK that has to be completed to get there.

Let's say you are a parent of a child who has been labeled by the world as learning disabled, but you BELIEVE your child "can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens" him/her. You will NOT ACCEPT what things look like at that moment because you BELIEVE otherwise. Then your ACTIONS will began to match what you BELIEVE because you will begin researching ways that others have OVERCOME that same situation and start taking the steps to COMBAT that challenge.

Like wise, you may want to be DEBT Free...you'll want to LOOK for opportunities that INCREASE your income while FREEING up your time for more of what you desire in your heart. Don't continue being POOR (Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly) because of what things LOOK like now. We must "PRESS toward the mark of the HIGH CALLING in Christ Jesus". God wants you BLESSED so you can BLESS others...for the Kingdom of God...it is NOT JUST ABOUT YOU...You are meant to be an INSPIRATION to your children and those around you so that they will DESIRE the God you know!

So GET on your knees, PRAY to God for His Help to make the right decisions needed, GET UP once you KNOW what He wants you to do and DO the WORK! STOP just ACCEPTING what life dishes at you...you are made to TAKE DOMINION, to RISE ABOVE your circumstances, and to SOAR like an eagle that WORKS WITH the wind to GLIDE where its FOCUSED to go!

How about you??? Are you GLIDING with God through your FAITH WORK??? If not, apply the steps mentioned above and FINISH your race to the end. Remember you are MADE to WIN with God's help!

http://open.spotify.com/track/61bUZL0jHtyILBPZmmtNXp

I KNOW I'M SUPPOSED TO FORGIVE, BUT...

Mark 11:26
"But if YOU do not FORGIVE, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings."

"I KNOW I'm SUPPOSED to FORGIVE, but..." Have you ever started thinking or SAYING this when YET ANOTHER thing reminds you of the HURT you encountered??? Yeah you know all the cliches about FORGIVENESS, like... "Forgiveness is not for the other person its for YOU...to heal and MOVE on." "Unforgiveness is like taking poison and hoping the other dies from it." "Holding a grudge (unforgiveness) is LETTING someone LIVE RENT-FREE in your head."

The reason why MOST do not FORGIVE is that they have not come to a NEW REVELATION of what the hurt encounter was meant to TEACH them! We LOVE to POINT the finger at another when we are HURT but the TRUTH is...people show us parts of ourselves we aren't WILLING to look at without the hurt. Let me give you some examples...

1) That guy you were so intrigued about that you LET into your life and HEART because He made you FEEL whatever way, but you often SAW him DECEIVING others but because he hadn't done it to you YET, you CHOSE to IGNORE the signs over what made you FEEL good.

2) OR maybe it was that girlfriend who told your personal business to someone else but the whole time that you knew her all you two every did was TALK about other people behind their back...but NOW all of sudden she's wrong for doing what you've been doing together the whole time!

3) OR maybe you have had a conversation with a SIBLING or FAMILY member over and over again about something you would like them NOT to do. You have come to the conclusion that they just DON'T CARE about YOUR FEELINGS since they keep doing it. However, HOW many times have you done the same thing OVER and OVER again that YOU KNOW is not PLEASING to God but He GIVES you ONE more chance when you ask for Forgiveness???

The BEAUTY of "hurts" in our lives is that they WAKE us up to the SLEEPWALKING that we sometimes do because we are not IN-TUNED to something in OUR CHARACTER that God wants us to SEE! He would NOT be a LOVING Father if He continued to let you WALK like darkness when you are a Child of LIGHT. Hurts SERVE the PURPOSE of GROWING us up to help us SEE a NEW PERSPECTIVE we never would have seen without it.

So take some time RIGHT NOW and take up YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to FORGIVE and PRAY for that person who gave you the WAKE call...They we're actually GOOD to and for YOU...from God's Perspective...and it will FREE YOU too!

ALH, Always Loving Him/Her'