Seasons Change

Summer happens to be one of my favorite seasons. Aside from the smothering heat and mosquitoes, I enjoy the summertime. There are many reasons why I prefer summer over the other seasons and most of these reasons stem from childhood memories. As a child, I enjoyed playing outdoors with family and friends. I enjoyed being able to go for a walk and feeling the sun on my face. I enjoyed going to the beach and spending all my time building sandcastles with my friends. As simple as these reasons may seem, they bring me joy every time I reflect on those memories. Those simple memories have the ability to make me feel calm and help to put things in perspective. 

In the book Songs of Solomon, chapter 2, verses 11-12, these scripture references the seasons and the renewed awareness that they bring. The previous verse, v.10, begins with, " Rise up..." This was a call for action because, in order to fully appreciate what is going on around you, you have to rise up or wake up from your slumber. The next verses detail what to take note of. One of those things is, in v.12, "The rain is over and gone, the time for singing has come."

In our lives there are different seasons, there are times that bring sunshine, like summer, and then there are times that bring dark clouds, rain, and a depressed state. I encourage each one of you to know that, that season is not going to always be the state of your life. It is for only a time, it too shall pass because it is just a season.

When that season is over, acknowledge that it is over by rising up, taking note of what was and what is to come. I want to go a step further and encourage you to speak God's words of hope even in the midst of a bad season. Sometimes you have to go through it to get to the place God wants you to be.

"To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." - Ecc 3:1

God bless you!

The Lord Is My Shepherd ...

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. - Psalms 23:1 

       Psalms 23 is one of the more popular Psalms and each verse gives us a picture of God as the good shepherd. Today, I just want to focus on the first verse.
       I have been praying for months for God to help me receive a scholarship to go off to school. However, these past couple weeks, I've found myself in deeper communion with the Lord. I prayed more, read my bible more and acknowledged God more throughout the day. I had moments when I doubted if God would allow this to happen. I cried, I prayed, I talked about it with my mom who prayed with me and encouraged me daily. Every time I had a moment of doubt, she reassured me. Every time I felt helpless and frustrated,

Taste and see that the Lord is good... Psalms 34:8

     Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:18

       One of my favorite fruits to eat in the summer time is watermelon. I love the taste, the texture and how refreshing it is. I think it's the best fruit to eat on a hot summer day.
       Since I know the taste of watermelon, I've become knowledgeable about what it does to me and how it's good for me and how it makes me feel. All this knowledge I've acquired not only through experience but through looking up the benefits of the fruit as well.
       Similarly, can we give the Lord God, our creator, the creator of heaven and earth, the same

Happy Love Day!

      Today some people are celebrating Valentine's Day. Receiving flowers, chocolates, poems and heartfelt sentiments are all part of this celebration. For some, Valentine's Day is a wonderful day to show their loved ones how they feel about them. For others, it may be depressing as they may not be in a relationship to receive gifts. For some, this day is just a regular day. There are others still who do not celebrate it. Some may even ask, "What is the craze all about?"
      The craze is about L-O-V-E.  Everyone wants to feel loved. In fact, it's a longing that every human feels at one point. God the author of creation, whom love resides and flows from, created us out of love. Therefore,

Look... God

Happy New Year! New Years Resolution - Trust in God

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

    Happy New Year to each and everyone of you! I pray that this year brings positive changes, spiritual maturity and growth, knowledge and understanding in the things of the Lord, blessings beyond measure and so much more!

    Every year that approaches, you will find that this is the time people want to make drastic changes in their lives. They have a bunch of goals and dreams they want to accomplish each year. But how many of us follow through with our goals? How many of us actually are successful in accomplishing these goals? Statistics show that we rarely accomplish all of these goals however we accomplish a few or some of them.

    This new year, 2014, I urge you to make resolutions concerning your relationship with the Lord. I urge you to

To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice

Thought-provoking Thursday 
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1Samuel 15:22

        Samuel spoke those words to Saul after God had given him specific instructions to wipe out the Amalekites and everything that belong to them. What Saul did instead was spare the life of King Agag and he kept the best of the best for himself and the people. God rejected Saul as king from that point on and although Saul wanted Samuel to go worship with him, God had already rejected him.
        It's interesting that King Saul was rejected immediately after not following God's orders. Saul's heart was not in the right place. As king, he was more concerned with hearkening to the voices of the people instead of the voice of the Lord. By pleasing the people, he in turn disobeyed God.
       In life, serving God and living according to His word must