Tag Archives: change agents

Happy New You

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Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Thessalonians 5:23)

     This is the time at the beginning of a new year that we tend to start thinking about things that we want to change or reorder in our personal lives. Some of us may want to lose thirty-five pounds, take better care of our health, spend more time with the family, or travel to a place that we have never visited. These are all things that will help us to develop a new perspective of our lives. It creates in our mind, a “happy new you.”

    As we explore what it means to create a happy new you, it is comforting to know that God wants the same for our lives. God wants our mind, body and spirit to be kept pure until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, with all the issues that we faced from 2020 to this point — a world pandemic, viral mutations, food and supply shortages, political unrest, police brutality, racial tensions, mass unemployment, mass shootings, unprecedented home foreclosures, and increased domestic disputes — these kinds of issues can make it challenging to think about a new you.  Yet even in the midst of these world and personal challenges, we can make ourselves over; with the help and grace of God, “All things are still possible with God.” (Matthew 19:26) 

     To do so, it will be important for us to examine ways to look closely at how we manage our mind, body and spirit. The mind is a crucial component of our being that we have to learn to manage with care. It is the gateway that will inform our entire system. What we think is critical to how we develop a new way of living and being. Proverbs, chapter twenty-three and verse seven says, “For as he thinks in his heart so is he…”  How we think determines if we will be sick or well, happy or sad, prosperous or poor.  

     Our mind, which houses the seat of our emotions, is connected to every major organ in our bodies. This is the reason that it is so important what we think. Our minds have to be fed good and wholesome things in order to be healthy. If we sit around daily complaining about our lives, feeling sorry for ourselves, taking in negative news all day, telling ourselves that we will never have the life that we imagine, and that nothing ever works out for us, we can be sure that our mind will give us what we ask for. It will communicate with every system in our body to tell it to respond to our language. So meditate on wholesome readings, autobiographies, poems, self help materials, and music that are in line with our faith. Seek ways to enjoy life daily through fun activities with the family, spending an evening out with like-minded friends sharing intimate conversation and ideas. 

    The human body, which is made up of eleven systems, is a complex and intricate creation. As I have been engaged in the study of Anatomy and Physiology, I really have come to realize how our bodies function that we  live in daily not being fully aware of just how intricate we are made. We are masterpieces of the great wisdom of God. Whatever we mess up in one system of the body affects every other system in the body. These bodies are not robotic machines: they are delicate, which means that what we put in them to become a “new you” is critical. In this country, we have gotten away from food as medicine; but through the present day natural health movement, we are seeing a resurgence of the original intention of God. From the beginning of creation God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Genesis 1:29)  

     God planned from the beginning that our food choices would be medicine for the body. The leaves of the tree were meant for healing. (Revelations 22:2) Many of the known diseases and illness in this county are directly connected to lifestyle and food choices. We have to take steps to add more fresh organic fruits and vegetables to our diet. Practice drinking half of our body weight in water daily. Yes, I really did say, “half of our body weight in water daily.” Water flushes toxins out of the body before they have a chance to affect the system negatively, and it transports valuable chemicals, nutrients and minerals to the cells. It helps to eliminate waste, regulates the body temperature, protects tissues, organs and joints, moisturizes the skin, aids in the digestion of food, and nourishes the heart and the brain. Water: it just does the body good! 

     Stop making excuses for not getting enough sleep. Let’s stop bragging about only getting three hours of sleep per day like it is a badge of honor. Sleep is a mysterious experience created by God that is used to help repair and heal during the resting moments; even our sleep has rhythms. Sleep is the pathway for dreams and visions that God uses to show us new opportunities and new ways of life. Sleep deprivation is another precursor to illness and disease in the body.  

     Get at least thirty minutes of exercise daily. Movement of the body moves chemicals in the body system that are necessary for them to function properly. Even when we can’t get outside on a regular basis, we can walk around in the house. Sit on the floor or in a chair and do some light stretching of the body to move the muscles. Take good care of the skin as it is the largest organ of the body system. What we put on the skin does matter. Toxic things that are put on the skin can have an adverse effect on our internal organs once absorbed by the skin. Read labels. Just because it is a dollar and on sale does not mean it is going to be good for us. Invest that dollar in the use of more natural products for external and internal use, such as coconut and olive oil. 

To nourish our spirit, there is nowhere else to go, but to the Creator of  our being. We are the expressed image of God in the earth. (Genesis 1:26-27)  The moment that we move away from the source of our creation we will malfunction.(Genesis 3) From our creation, when God blew the breath of life into our being, we became a living spirit.(Genesis 2:7) Relying on anyone or anything other than God, we will surely abandon our life source. To develop our spirit, we need the Holy Spirit and the word of God. The Holy Spirit and the word bring life. (Luke 11:13; John 6:35; Romans 8:1-2) The word and Holy Spirit are like the air that we breathe. It is important to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to develop times to read the word daily. I appreciate the age of technology and the use of electronic Bibles, but I believe that due to the crucial times that we are living in, we have to make sure that we have a Bible in our homes so that when things get shut down in our world, we don’t have to shut down because we can’t get the word of God. Purchase Bibles for our children and grandchildren and teach them the reason that it is important for them to have one, and get back to BRING IT TO CHURCH when coming to worship. Let’s start a movement of getting back to bringing the Bible to church!  

    Prayer is the way that we draw close and commune with God. The Bible tells us that it was Jesus’ custom to seek God early in the morning. (Mark 1:25) Early morning is a good practice because it gives us the opportunity to connect with God before we interact with our family and the rest of the world. Early morning opens us to center our being so that we clean our souls and get clear instructions on hearing from God throughout the day. Prayer is the key to building our relationship with God. It helps us to see the world with new eyes and brings us to conscious awareness of our state of being, surroundings, and reactions when dealing with others. Prayer even has a direct correlation on our brain and nervous system. 

     As we move forward into a new year, we can all have a “happy new you,” but we have to be willing to make changes in our mind, body and spirit, knowing that all heaven is helping us and cheering us forward. Have A Happy New You!~Peace 

The Dark Side of Religion and Its Leadership

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“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

I did not grow up in church, and had no requirements to attend church on Sundays. There was no Bible or spiritual literature in my home to nurture my faith at an early age. I did not have a real encounter with the presence of God until the age of twenty-six. At that time, my mind was changed. It was as if there was such a shift in my thinking that it almost seemed unreal. Darkness lifted off of my mind in such a way that it appeared like I could see the dark shadows leaving, like in the movie “Ghost” starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. I had been living with tremendous internal pain.

I was led to purchase my first Bible ever, a concordance, and a Bible Dictionary. I devoured this material like food that I could not stop eating. There was insight and revelation that came. Visions were opened up to me; I could see things in the heavenly realm. These spiritual insights opened me up to the light of God’s presence, and how this presence should manifest in the world as light. I was having real encounters with God, and learning the way to access real light, truth, holiness, peace, joy and righteousness. 

I submitted my life in a spiritual house of worship under spiritual leaders and teachers who guided me and helped me to grow spiritually. They taught me how to take hold of faith and prayer to experience the supernatural power of God. I discovered purpose and the plan of God for my life in the world. There was such freedom and wholeness in my being. I was healed from emotional sickness and brokenness. My spirit was free and excited about life, and wanting to see others get whole. I experienced no controlling factors in the spiritual house that I got nurtured in; no fear, no dark persuasion, no manipulation. It was indescribable. If I could sum up these basic lessons of light that I learned in my early spiritual formation, it would be these:  

Lesson One: Faith is our compass. It is the way to please God. Faith demonstrates that we trust God to fulfill his word.

Lesson Two: Love is our guiding principle as we encounter every human being on the face of the earth.

Lesson Three: Touch others with love in our family and the world.

Lesson Four:  Use our gifts and resources to benefit others so that they, too, can discover faith, love, hope, purpose and destiny. 

Lesson Five:  Do no harm to any soul on the earth because that soul belongs to God. When we harm others, we harm God.

Lesson Six: Keep our lives clean and pure from wickedness. Manage our appetites with contentment. Live in light. 

Lesson Seven: God can see and know all things. There is no hiding place from the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to partner with us in the work of service to the world and for all that we do.

As I experienced these lessons and sought to walk them out in life, I had visions of light. I was taken in my encounters with God to a heavenly realm, and was shown how light and darkness would operate in the world. I was given an understanding of the workings of the mind, and how it can be influenced for light or darkness. I was able to see light and darkness operating through people. I could see when darkness would appear like light. 

I witnessed people with more than one face. I could read the energy of environments and could smell disease and death, even when people looked well. For many of these things, as they would appear in the natural, I was not given release by the presence of God to share these insights. I had to ponder them in my heart for a season. I heard the voice of God say during one of these visions, “I am going to teach you to see the darkness of people’s minds and teach you to help people to be aware of it and to get them free.” This understanding led me into the world of psychology and working with minds that went to dark places in their life experiences, families and the world. My interest has been uncovering the darkness of religion on the mind, and the leadership of religious systems who practice darkness.

God is leading me to uncover the darkness of religion, its leaders, and the impact on the minds of people, to bring healing to individuals, families, cities and world. Understand this: God did not create religion. Religion is an ego-driven human attempt to understand God by categorizing God in rites, rituals and rules. Religion in its purity is supposed to bring the real light of God to the mind and elevate people to a higher state of consciousness. Religion at its best will bring human beings in alignment with the presence of God, and help them live out the nature of God in the world. 

What is God’s nature? Love, peace, joy, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness, meekness, faithfulness, patience, justice, righteousness and more. God’s nature is not dark, contradictory, controlling, manipulative, exploitive, conniving, greedy, arrogant, prideful, rude, abusive, hurtful, discriminatory, prejudice, deceptive, perverted or hateful. When these characteristics operate in religion and its leaders, this is not the mind and presence of God. This is darkness working at its worst!

The dark side of religion, and its leaders will manifest in these traits with no real moral conviction of the impact that these behaviors have on human society. There are leaders who can ignore the candle of God’s presence, and engage in dark thinking and behaving without thought. It has become a part of their lives. It has even become a part of many religious systems, and many personalities hide in the pretense of light, but live with two faces or multiple personalities. God is moving in the earth with such vast power that many religions, and their leaders who have been corrupted by darkness, are going to crumble. Some religious systems never started out for the purpose of bringing light. The intent of their formation was darkness appearing as light. Some that started out in light, have grown in darkness as they begin to get out of alignment with the presence of God.

When we as a people do not deal with the broken places in our soul, this brokenness becomes an avenue for darkness to express itself. When there are compromised moral standards, the doorway of darkness is opened up, and it never wants to be exposed to bring healing in the system. Darkness always looks for broken personalities in order to infiltrate into a religious system. I will start uncovering some of these traits so that we will know what to look for, and make a determination about our religious affiliations.

When darkness has permeated the system, and there is a vacillation between dark and light behaviors, we will witness this same spirit operating through many others in the system. There is a door that is opened in the hearts of those who are in the highest levels of leadership that gets filtered down. This spirit is manipulative and controlling. The modus operandi is to control people for its own selfish agenda and lead them down a compromised path. It is always to contaminate the true light of God.

In a religious system that has opened the door to darkness, people are merely used for the purpose of the system, not for the righteous standards of God. Anyone who can see these discrepancies and speaks to them, this person or persons will be a threat and a target to discredit, ostracize, ignore and destroy. When we operate in true light, and dark areas are pointed out in the system, those who are at the highest levels of the system who want light will move to bring about healing and change in the system, so that God’s light can come forth. The opposite will be experienced when the system and its leaders want to remain in darkness; it will move to destroy the bearers of light.

There are three broken personality types in a religious system at high levels of leadership that, when operating in darkness, will have an effect on the whole system at every level. In some systems, all of these personality traits can operate through one personality. The way that we are going to recognize and detect this darkness is through the eyes, behaviors and speech (words).

  1. Machiavellian- This dark personality trait will manifest in leaders that focus on self-interest as the prime motivation. Image, superficial appearances, cruelty and ruthlessness with no real mercy is the way they operate. Everything that they do is strategic. All actions are well thought out and planned in advance. They will use whatever is necessary to get their way. They will even create disorder in their own house or team. Every action is calculated by this dominate thought: “What is in this for me and how will my public image be impacted by my actions” 
  1. Narcissistic -This dark personality trait is a challenging leader to work with. They have an obsessively inflated ego, self-worth and importance. They believe that they are super special creations of God, and no one is more special than they are. Their status is above normal. They are not comfortable with the ideals and gifts of others. They only pretend to be interested. They will sabotage their own team to get their way. Discord is a strategy of their leadership. They struggle to accept criticism, or disagreements to what they desire to do. There is an insatiable need to be flattered, approved and praised. They love the spotlight, and will find one, steal one, or create one every chance that they get. They only want to be surrounded by people who will fulfill their ego needs. Yes, voices only please is their motto!
  1. Psychopathic- This dark personality is a charismatic and charming leader. Charm is one of their most powerful traits. However, the charm is superficial and not genuine. Their actions are calculated and they have no real depth of feeling. They experience no empathy or pain for their actions committed against others. As a matter of fact, they are incapable of real empathy. They can destroy a life or situation with no mercy. Lying, secrets, obsessions, and illicit appetites are some of their most dominate behaviors. They even know how to act humble while working their deeds with secret and danger.

The commonality of all of these dark leadership types in any religious organizations is that they have a desire to control the gifts and resources of people for their own interest and the interest of the system. Their behaviors can be passive or aggressive. Manipulation and control are always at the forefront of how these personalities lead. They play with darkness because they have no revelation or conviction about the all- seeing eye of God! (Proverbs 15:3, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

I offer this writing to help us to first gain an awareness and understanding that can help us to recognize these traits, not for judgement, but for prayer, healing, and to determine how to work with, and or to come out from under these leaders and systems. When we see leaders with these traits, and systems under their influence, we are looking at broken souls and broken religious systems that need God’s intervention!

Peace,

Combating The Spirit of Hatred

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“Ask of me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Psalms 2:8-9

There are times when it is difficult to walk in the gifts of God. When I was a child, I found it difficult to share what I was experiencing in the Spirit; but that is not the case today. In June 2017, there was a major transition in my life. I took on an assignment in the Western Region. It was one of the hardest decisions of my entire life, but I knew God was calling me to an assignment of spiritual warfare. Along with several co-laborers who operate in the prophetic calling, I engaged in extensive counseling and research of the Western Region before I made my journey to the West.

We understood that the warfare would be intense because the cosmic influence over the region was heavy and the demonic darkness has worked for years to control the West. This darkness has not only taken a firm hold of the region, but it has also impacted the spirit of local churches across denominational and non-denominational lines. The spirit of hatred is operating in the churches and seeking to destroy. In some instances, I encountered the demonic spirit of hatred just because I showed up for the assignment here in the West. God made it clear to me that I had encountered this spirit. Hatred is a nasty spirit that aims to destroy everything God desires to accomplish through His servants. It is a subtle and dangerous spirit that masquerades as an angel of light – for a while – then it unleashes its venom. The kindred spirit that accompanies the demon of hatred is the lying spirit. It speaks calculated lies with intention. Its aim is to gratify its fleshly desires and to discredit the prophetic voice of God. But the alarming thing is that any individual, clergy or laity, can be open to this hateful spirit; it simply needs a body to operate through. It nestles itself in the broken and insecure places in the soul of those who are unguarded against it or leave themselves accessible to it.

The spirit of hatred can hide temporarily, but not for long because of its agenda to dishonor and sabotage its target. The only thing that closes the door on the spirit of hatred is repentance, renouncing sin, and filling the empty place in the soul with the Spirit of Love. To the pastors, leaders, and laity in the western region, we have to search our hearts and attend to our daily walk moment by moment. When we are hurt by any matter or we face challenges with others, harboring hatred will not solve the problem. Hatred unchecked will take anyone deeper into bondage and will keep us in the hands of the enemy by carrying out his will instead of the will of God. We have to evaluate ourselves and close the gap because this spirit has a strong presence in the western region of the country, and many of the churches are being taken hostage by it. Even children and youth are affected by it.

Abba Father is not pleased because we have the power within us to close the door on this spirit by walking in unified prayer, forgiveness, and love with everyone. Love is God’s command. (John 13:34) This is God’s way of being. There are consequences for maintaining a spirit of hatred. The Word of God says, “Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.” (Proverbs 17:13 NIV) Here is the warning: The anger of the Father is being poured out, but we can repent and turn back His hand. (Isaiah 42:25)

This is the question; why would we want our entire house destroyed as a result of harboring and practicing hatred? Wherever we see hatred, it is time to confront and expose it for what it really is. If we cast hatred out of those who have been carriers of that spirit and replace it with God’s radical love, I believe we will see God do an amazing work in our midst.

Let us do our part to start this revival by examining our own hearts. If we find that hatred is operating through us, we must acknowledge that spirit, confront it, and repent in Jesus’ mighty name. God is calling us to a higher place of praise and to transform The Church ~ Love!

Get Up With A New Determination

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At the opening of 2019, I was flooded with thoughts about my life, my friendship with God, motherhood, marriage, ministry, and my relationships with others – in that order amazingly. I came to realize how my life was impacted by all of these roles. My ministry assignment in San Francisco, which has taken me away from extended family and close friends, has been one of the most difficult and yet rewarding endeavors of my life. It has opened and stretched me to a new determination. I do understand now why God allowed and opened this door of opportunity for His glory and insight.

I am going to new levels. There have been some painful moments on this journey; aloneness, but not lonely, rejection in unexpected ways, and misunderstood intentions. However, some things have been made clear to me. I have gained insight into obscure matters that blindsided me. I can see clearly now. What I love about friendship with God is that it never changes and God will never allow me to walk in the dark. God is consistent in His love and care for me as a human being created in His image. There are no contradictions in His character. His love endures forever.

I have all of this stuff inside me to fulfill and I know I have to work with a new determination to complete it. I have never been jealous or envious of the dreams and goals of others. I have been a cheerleader for other people’s dreams and have sacrificed much of my time and energy to see their dreams happen. I will continue to help others and encourage them to go after God’s best for their lives; but I woke up recently with a new determination to fulfill my dreams.

    I don’t ever want to stop dreaming. I don’t believe it is God’s will that I pour all of my life into someone else’s dream while my dream dies on the vine. God said in His Word, “be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28) That means I should be increasing in whatever God has planted in me to advance His Kingdom.

Reader, on this journey of life, you are going to meet people in the world who are takers. They have unrealistic expectations of your pouring all of yourself into their dreams and goals, but they can never celebrate yours. You have to know when it is time to wake up or you could die asleep.  Don’t die with your dreams unfulfilled. You might have to take a season away from environments and people who are killing you. Get up with a new determination to start working on something. Even if it seems small, just do it! Help others, yes, but don’t get so absorbed that you can’t see clearly what God wants to do in and through your life. Decide today that, with a new determination, you will fulfill your dreams for God’s glory and honor!

Peace,

 

Toxic Religious Communities: Where Is The Balm?

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Recently I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful evangelism training event that helps to prepare and equip believers to be more effective witnesses for Christ. We discussed ways that we could be more natural and conversational in our approach to sharing the love that Jesus modeled for us while he lived in the earth some two thousand years ago.

During this training, I was up earlier than usual every morning seeking God in prayer because I am constantly searching for ways to be a better human being in the presence of people across all cultures. This was a four-day training. I assembled for morning prayer with others who wanted to experience God’s blessings daily for the entire training session. But something happened in me during prayer on the last day as I was preparing to leave. I got in my car to drive to the airport but I could not because the tears would not stop flowing. A full hour passed before I was able to drive. While in prayer, it seemed as if the heavens opened and the Spirit of God spoke and said, “Now be released from your pain; the pain you have carried being a part of a particular religious community.” In one brief moment, God flicked through those experiences like a quick movie flashing in my mind’s eye. I have chosen in this writing not to name that community as I do not desire to hurt anyone by the things shared. However, I do want to enlighten people through awareness of the many ways we inflict pain on others who are a part of our religious communities and those who come seeking healing. We understand that there are no perfect religious communities, but there should be evidence of the fruit of our love and forgiveness in the way we treat others.

It is only because of the grace of God and good friends that I have been able to stand, as many others have, through unkindness, unjust suffering, rejection, labeling, persecution, sabotage, lies, disregard, being hindered from advancement, and ill treatment toward our children. I have had many opportunities for advancement beyond the religious community I serve, but I believe God uses our experiences to help others. He taught me how to be continually engaged in the practice of Radical Hospitality in spite of ill treatment. I am fully aware that Jesus had to do the same thing. Let me say also, that there are beautiful people who I personally share with in the same community that have known firsthand the things I and others have suffered and they found ways to encourage us and also let us know that they were praying for our families and our fellowship communities. For them I am grateful.

Through my personal experiences with humanity and having been a practicing Mental Health Professional for more than twenty-five years, I have had the pleasure of being seated in sacred spaces with people who have been so wounded by religious communities that they no longer wanted to be a part of them. Many of them sought out alternative environments because they still had a hunger in their hearts for spirituality. At times my heart was broken just hearing about their pain and suffering. They had been controlled, manipulated, abused emotionally and physically, blocked from advancement, exploited financially, and raped of their gifts and talents. Some of their experiences reminded me of my own, but I listened with compassion and the desire to help them work their way through the pain.

Religious communities should make every effort to be havens of consolation where people can come and find a real healing balm. In the natural, a balm is often an oily, fragrant substance that is used as a comforting, soothing, restorative ointment for wounds, cuts, and bruises. It is known for its medicinal value. Ideally, this is what religious communities are supposed to represent – an anchorage where people of all nations can have soothing experiences and find comfort and restoration for their hurting souls.

I have never understood why there is such tolerance for inappropriate behaviors from leaders and other participants in religious communities. I believe we all have a duty to address the wrongs we can clearly see. However, if we become mere beneficiaries of perks, then there is silence while people are being injured – some who may never recover.

The weight of my pain is lifted. I forgave the persons who hurt me at the moment of the injury. What I did not realize was that I still carried the pain. I have released it. I have learned that God will never waste my pain or yours. God will use everything that you and I have gone through for destiny and for His glory. I have to continue helping others to overcome their pain and to share with yet others how they can survive maltreatment and hurt, and still move forward with God’s purpose and plan for their lives – even when their hearts have been broken in a religious community.

If you are reading this and you are connected to a religious community that has hurt you in any way, know that God’s love is greater than what you have experienced. If you will remain open in your heart to the awesome power of God, your pain can be healed.

To Religious Communities everywhere; leaders and laity, I ask you,
“Where is the balm in your community that can heal any soul?”    Peace

Don’t Ever Be Ashamed of Your Story: It’s About Destiny

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What I have discovered on this journey of life is that reaching my destiny will require something of me that will necessitate my having to be transparent and vulnerable in order to become transformative. (I learned this from a great teacher.) I also learned that I can impact my family, friends, and even strangers by the testimony of my story. As I have reflected on the world from my point of view, I can see that people really do want to maximize their lives to the fullest. Many just do not have the knowledge, the wisdom, or the opportunity to move their lives toward their destiny and purpose.

I grew up in a clean, loving, and orderly home. However, there was not much money flowing through it. I was being raised by a mother who was 14 years old when I was born and a 16-year-old father. They were young y’all! I knew they both loved me and wanted to do the right thing for my well-being, but there were challenges. It took years for me to understand that they did their best to try and work out their new marriage and life together with a young child. Because of their choice to have premarital sex, their youth and their lives would never be the same. There was sadness and many frustrations that at times affected my state of being. I found myself feeling isolated and sad inside, but I did not know how to explain the sadness that was forming and developing in me, and I had no confidant to share those negative feelings with.

There were some things I tried to fix in my mind, but I did not quite understand what needed to be fixed. Those feelings kept overwhelming me. There were many people who appeared to be interfering with the way my mother and father were managing things and that seemed to create more frustrations for them.  So three more babies later, my father felt that he had enough and he left home. I was five years old. What I had experienced with him was his gentleness and his brilliance; he was one of those Cornell West types, but he just could not seem to figure out how to use his brilliance and make his life move toward the destiny for which he was born. He aborted his brilliance through a life of drug addiction that led to a diagnosis of drug induced Paranoid Schizophrenia. He lived in a constant state of fear, mistrust, and double mindedness.

When I had to deal with him after he left our home, I often felt that I was parenting him. I would help him to redirect his thoughts to keep them connected to reality. I had this unusual patience and calmness with him that required me to help him understand that his fears and suspicions had no basis in reality. However, I became angry, resentful, and ashamed of his life and the impact that his selfish addiction had on his family, so I distanced myself from him and only reached out to him periodically. In an effort to handle these feelings of anger, shame, and resentment, I began engaging in unhealthy imaginings to try and put him and my life in a light that made sense. The doorway of those unhealthy imaginations opened other doors to unhealthy thinking patterns in my own life that led to great emotional and mental challenges for me. How could I, as a young child or young adult, tell people that my father was mentally ill and that I was facing some challenges myself? The feeling of shame gripped me, but I found hope and deliverance through a spiritual encounter and relationship with Jesus the Christ. Jesus brought meaning to my meaninglessness and healing to my broken heart and soul. For this spiritual transformation, I am eternally grateful. My father passed away in 2007, and I took the responsibility of managing the last moments of his medical care and to see to it that he was buried with dignity, respect, and love. I held no more anger in my heart toward him. I was able to see him with new eyes and with the understanding that he really wanted more for his life and his family. I will always remember his gentle way and his struggle and desire to have a meaningful and successful life.

Still in our society today, mental illness affects so many families. It introduces an array of emotions into the family that produce feelings of confusion, anger, fear, resentment, frustration, hurt, devastation, and shame. As painful as it has been to go through the process of overcoming the perils of my family and my negative emotions, it has led to the fulfillment of my destiny to become a Mental Health Professional in support of others who struggle with the devastating pain and shame associated with mental illness. My aim in life is to use my story to help others overcome their pain and live the full life that God has predestined for them. In spite of feeling trapped in the unhealthy world of their minds, people with mental illness want to be loved, accepted, and treated with respect. I believe I am on a journey to help them know that they can find communities of people that will love and accept them, and walk them through their challenges into wholeness. It has taken some years for me to rise above the shame of my story of family and personal mental illness. Today, I am free internally and not ashamed of where I started or what I have walked through in my own family and life. My destiny now is to help others to get free and live their lives with purpose. My life is all about destiny!

 

 

Getting Rid of the Old and Bringing In the New

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As we have entered into 2017, many are making plans to change something. It could be a lifestyle, a hairstyle, a relationship, weight, buying a house, or moving to another state or county. The New Year always opens with people wanting to make some kind of change – getting rid of the old to bring in the new.

Getting rid of the old and bringing in the new is a good thing to do. Taking away or adding to our lives is much like the pruning of a garden that has been overrun with weeds. At times, we need to cut the weeds away to make for a better and healthier garden. Even in our personal lives, taking away the old to bring in the new requires that we have a plan of action that is manageable so that we will remain on the path of change to reach our goals. Stay away from lofty plans that will not bring about the changes you desire. Keep your change goals simple and reachable.

Make 2017 a great year for your life as you get rid of the old to bring in the new. Bringing in the new will fill your heart with joy when you accomplish the desires of your heart. Never forget that the God of the Universe is cheering you on and believing for your success. Go ahead, bring on the new!~SSC

Relationship Not Religion

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When we think about Christ Jesus and look at the way “JESUS” has been portrayed in the world, it can at times cause great confusion. When we examine various faiths and religious expressions, it can leave us perplexed about who JESUS really is. Because of the way “JESUS” is characterized, we sometimes misconceive Jesus, The Christ and what HE came to do in the hearts and minds of people. There are many instances where JESUS’ mission and purpose have been misrepresented and rejected. JESUS was quite clear about what He was commissioned to do on behalf of people around the world.

Whenever God anoints someone by filling them with the Holy Spirit, it is always for a special reason, purpose, or intention. God will never waste the anointing; He directs His anointing toward a specific mission. JESUS announced what He would do with the anointing on His life; He would save people, heal them, deliver them, and set them free. Luke 4:17-19

This announcement was not a religious message. It was about building relationships – with God and with people. God’s healing power restores us to a right relationship with Him and with one another. All we have to do is believe, receive, and practice being a relationship builder in JESUS’ name. Only believe! You can do it. It’s about relationship, not religion. ~ Peace!

Trail Blazer

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There are times that we find ourselves faced with decisions that can make or break us. Destiny requires that we make critical decisions that will lead us down the path that God has planned for our lives. God’s plan is to prosper us and not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11) However, we have to make sure that we are not making decisions that are not in our best interest.

There must be a willingness on our part to prepare ourselves for opportunities and doors to come open that will lead us to adventures of a lifetime by blazing some new trails. To blaze a trail we have to be risk takers. We cannot be afraid to travel on uncharted paths.

We cannot sit around waiting for others to give us an opportunity at destiny. To do so would mean that we have turned over the power of our lives into the hands of feeble human beings, which could lead to manipulation and control. We have to ask God to create opportunities for us to fulfill our purpose in life and make our paths clear for new adventure. There will be so many things that we will discover about ourselves and the impact that we will have on the world when we blaze new trails. Start walking~ PEACE!

A New Horizon

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Today starts a new horizon. I woke up today feeling restless with where I am presently in my life. I realize that I feel stuck in old patterns and places with the heaviness that I am not progressing in ways that I desire to. I am full of life and creativity, but inside I know I must look toward a new horizon. The world and the people in it are constantly moving, yet with all that is within me, I feel stuck. There are times that my being craves newness and freshness.

There are times that I feel trapped by my own limited perspective. Changing my perspective and shifting my view is a must so that I can move forward and begin to release the fullness within me to change the world. I believe I hear destiny calling my name; she is saying, “It is time for a new horizon.” It is time for me to take the limitation off my mind and my life and get moving to the next phase. I started this blog today with just a few thoughts about where I am as I search myself in an attempt to find out how to be all that God created me to be, and in so doing, help others to take the limits off their lives and move away from being comfortable into finding their destiny. It is time for a new horizon. Destiny is calling my name!