Financial Redemption

The inevitable struggle of finances continues to haunt those of you who, like me, find difficulties in money management. Often times, the bills outweigh the funding used to pay these bills. Various methods of strategic planning in how to stretch money that isn't there leads to a continuous dead end, and you continuously find yourself coming up short. With this feeling of defeat, comes the inevitable stress, worry, and the dreading question...What am I going to do? You have asked everyone you could think of for help, yet to no prevail, you are forced to once again, pay another bill late. The overwhelming need to take control of the situation by finding a solution by any means necessary to find money begins to take over. Just one question, have you ever wondered why it seems so impossible for YOU to solve your financial problems? God has a way of getting our attention. When we think that the world is coming to end and we just can't get a break, often times, this is God's way of getting our attention. Sometimes, God needs to remind us that we are NOT in control. Even so, sometimes God just wants to show us His glory, by showing off and displaying just how powerful He is. This is where our faith comes in. The Lord said " Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path" (Proverbs 3:5-6).  Releasing the fragments used to control our every move, thought and very existence seems almost impossible. In order to achieve this, one must "die to self". In other words, we must be willing to detach ourselves from those very things that tend to lead us in our every day dealings; our social desires to be accepted, our egos, our selfish aspirations for pleasing our needs before the needs of others, etc. Believe it or not, all of these things tie into our co-existence between the fleshly realm and the spiritual realm. Understand when I say, faith is real. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen" (Hebrews 11:1). Let's break this scripture down. Faith in the form of substance refers to that initial yearning that acknowledges the desire for a need or want. As we ponder on the benefits of this need, want or desire, we begin to act on this desire. We begin to alphabetize our everyday patterns in search of this desire. We prophetically live as though we have already received our hearts desires. This is the evidence of our unseen desire. For example, when my husband and I were ready to find our own place, we struggled with the fear of failure. We often times, found ourselves deviating away from this in order to remain in our comfort zone. With time, our desires changed and our faith begin to strengthen. As our desire for our own home became more evident, we began to act by faith. While searching and taking the necessary steps to find our home, we began to pack our belongings. We began the packing process, without any knowledge of what would happen next. As we continued to act by faith, our confidence in our success grew. To no surprise, we were in our own home within three months. This leads me into our next segment, understanding that " faith without works is dead" (James 2: 17).  Now please understand, having a strong level of faith does not apply only to those who are believers in Christ. Anyone can have a strong faith level. Successful icons of today's world did not succeed and become who they are today by knowing their every exact move. Many of those moves were made solely on the basis of strong faith that their needs, wants, dreams and desires would come to pass. This knowledge came from the comprehension that there is a higher being, in whom all things are possible. The understanding of this concept can be found on both ends of the spectrum; quite simple to understand, as well as, quite difficult. One bit of knowledge that is illustrated in its' simplest form is understanding this...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
                                                                  - Phillipians 4: 13

Finding my hope

The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness is an attack in itself. The lack of drive in seeking hope in more than just commodities sometimes seems like an unreachable goal. The privilege of grace and mercy enrich this new light, providing an everlasting sense of possibility. The possibility that things can change; the possibility that my husband/wife will change; the possibility that things will happen in my favor. As I mentioned in my previous post, the need for change is inevitable through the realm of growth. The goal is to continue to grow, not to sit in contentment with what you have accomplished for the day, but to continuously seek growth through change. One thing I've learned over the years, if you keep making the same mistake, you will continue to get the same results. So in other words, if you keep making a left turn,you will continue to turn into a dead end. If you noticed that change is non-existent in your life, then why not take another path. What do you have to lose? The Lord said, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all His righteous. And all these things will be added unto you ( Matt. 6:33). If things are not going the way you planned for them to go, sit back and regroup. Ask yourself, what is it that God wants for you. Sometimes, we are so caught up in our needs, wants and desires, that we forget that we are not in control. Control...what a concept. Construction On Not Taking Roles Over the Lord. What does this mean?  It means, through the lens of grace and mercy, we sometimes need to undergo construction in understanding our roles through the eyes of the Lord. " For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". (Jer. 29:11). In all of this, with change, growth, releasing control, it takes strong faith. Falling in Adoration into Thy Hands. 

God gave us the grace of free will. He will not impose Himself onto us for the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. In knowing this, I ask, are you willing to submit control to Him. Believe me, I am not perfect, and I am still struggling with this, but I am ready for change, for growth. Walking through life with a blind fold on is a scary thing, but faith will see me through. I am sure there may be some of you who may not agree with what I write on this blog, but that's ok. Because at the end of day, we all seek the same thing, growth and change. Everyone want's change, needs change. Change is the filter of our existence. Without it, life would not evolve. By faith, our level of change will grow and through our growth, we will inhabit change. 

The atack is real...

Growth is factually inevitable in the world of trials and tribulations. Overcoming the exhausting battle of mental control has its limitations. The renewing of your mind serves a prerequisite in setting a strong foundation for growth. I have struggled in this area for as long as i could remember. The motivational aspect of all of this is to continue striving for change, for growth. As i find myself falling into a spiral of cluttered thoughts and confusion, i gained wisdom in understanding that it was ok to feel this way. These feelings are completely normal to feel, they are human emtions. The real struggle comes when u give up, when you say Im done. NEVER SAY YOUR DONE, because then the enemy has won. You are a child of the Most high. Remember, the battle is not yours, the battle is the Lord's. It's not over yet....believe that. This is all to strengthen your faith.

My Epiphany

How do you stand strong when everything around you seems to be falling short. You pray, you seek His face, you do all the things that you believe are what you need and should be doing, and yet, nothing seems to change your surrounding or your situation. How do you develop a level of faith in the midst of stagnation. The Word of God says, we need faith the size of a mustard seed...have you ever seen a mustard seed. Well, here it is....

This is how big our faith level has to be, in order for us to have the power to look at a mountain and tell the mountain to move.

 How big is your seed?