Welcome to Darvi's world - we will talk about any and everything here! Darvi's world includes scrapbooking/papercrafting, jewelry making, organization projects, my pinterest obsession, my faith, shopping, fitness struggles, my family, books, golf - you name it! I will share my various journeys and experiences with you - sometimes with humor... yet I promise to always be my true, authentic self!
Hello Blogland! Well, I originally wrote this post for Thanksgiving week, but it still holds true now, possibly even more in this worldly season of excess (otherwise known as the "holidays"). I spent the Saturday before Thanksgiving working with my church's outreach ministry to pack and distribute Thanksgiving food baskets and winter items in our community. God allowed me to be a personal blessing to someone during that outreach, and I am ever amazed at how he goes before you and makes provision, sometimes for others through you. Even with all the crazy in my own world, it always feels good to be a blessing to others. Which leads me right to the subject of this post- gratitude. This is the time of year where most people shift their thinking towards helping others, which goes right along with being grateful for what you've got. It is something that I've tried to instill in my children since they were small - to always be appreciative of what you have because there is someone who wishes they had what you have. Even when we don't have everything we want or even everything we're used to having - always be grateful. So that said, here's my gratitude list at the moment:
A roof over our heads
Plenty of clothes to wear
Food to eat
A few really, really good friends
That my parents are still living
My son's early admission and scholarship for college
My daughter's good grades
That my kids are not problem children
A wonderful, teaching ministry at my church and wonderful church family
That I am healthy!
Now does making this list cancel everything that is not picture perfect in my life? Of course not! But, it does keep me from focusing only on what's not right and allows me to focus on what is right. And that's good enough for me.
So stay grateful and joyful during this Holiday Season and remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season! I can't leave you without a song, so here's an oldie but goodie, "Be Grateful" by Walter Hawkins.
What are you grateful for? Holla @ Darvi and share! And, as always, be blessed! xoxoxo
Hello December! For once it is not snowing in Chicago!!! We have been having relatively mild weather, although the temperature has dropped a bit... This will be a short and sweet post. Hopefully it will contain something that will be a blessing to someone else. Today's message is to encourage those who feel like things never work out for them or that they are always in "wait mode." Well, maybe it's just to encourage me... We'll start with some scriptural encouragement (these can go in your War Chest for your War Room, whether room, journal, board, etc.): Isaiah 40:31 KJV: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 66:9 NASV: Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD. Or shall I who gives delivery shut up the womb? says your God. Joel 2:25 NASV: Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, my great army which I sent among you. Psalm 62:5-6 KJV: My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectations from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence, I shall not be moved. Next, here's some music to encourage you: He has his hands on you - Marvin Sapp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1WQLipTwRQ God provides - Tamela Mann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32jDHrDEVPM God is in Control - James Hall & Worship in Praise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7xXjdksufo I am God - Donald Lawrence & the TriCity Singers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w-_Mf0Yw1A Can't Give Up Now - Mary Mar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37PCbh9KppA A prayer to go in your War Chest: Dear God, I pray that my circumstances change. Nothing remains the same for very long. In the meantime, give me the resolve to wait it out cheerfully. To stop feeling its pain. To instead be flexible, open, and in celebration with you. For you, dear God are mightier than circumstance beyond my control. You are surely by my side and filling me with patience, and peace of mind. Amen. (The prayer came from here: you can go check it out and others like it). And last, but not least, a poem that I learned many years ago when I was pledging my sorority back in college: Don't Quit When things go wrong as they sometimes will When the road you're trudging seems all uphill When funds are low and debts are high When you want to smile, but you have to sigh When care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must but just don't quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns As every one of us sometimes learns And many a failure turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out, Don't give up though the pace seems slow You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up, When he might have captured the victor's cup, And he learned too late, when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out- The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you can never tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit- It's when things seem worst that you must not quit. -Author Unknown Listen, obstacles will come, sometimes, as I have experienced, multiple obstacles all at the same time. People say that no goal or dream is obtained without a struggle. And I won't lie, there are plenty of times when you are facing what amounts to insurmountable odds, your back is against the wall and you just want some relief. The words of an Old James Cleveland song (remade by Mary Mary as linked above) have comforted me many times when I've faced obstacles: "I just can't give up now, I've come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy and I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me." Whatever the situation, whatever the problem, you must believe that God's got it. He didn't bring you (or me) this far to leave you... Stay encouraged and prayerful as we enter this holiday season that takes a toll on a lot of folks - emotionally and financially. I hope this has been encouraging for you - I try to be encouraging even in the midst of my own struggles! Wanna post some encouragement for anyone struggling right now? You can do so, just Holla @ Darvi and leave it in the comments. Enjoy your weekend and be blessed! xoxoxo
Happy Friday, Blogland! I hope that the Autumn season has been kind to you all! There's been all sorts of things happening around these parts! The teen got an early admission and partial scholarship into his first choice college, so I'm gonna be an HBCU Mom! He also got his driver's license (finally!). The tween got promoted to honors math and is taking high school level Spanish. So the kids are doing ok (we still have some challenges, but they are ok). October has been especially busy; unfortunately, I have not been able to squeeze in a Family Fall Outing (but I may be able to sneak one in on Sunday afternoon; we shall see). It's my second favorite time of the year (Spring is my favorite); I love to watch the leaves change colors. Here is one of my favorite fall photos:
Anyhoo, y'all know I'm from the Chicago area, right? Something major is going on up this way - the Cubs are in the World Series!!! Hasn't happened in, well, let's just say a few years... I snapped this photo the other day to show how Chicago was celebrating:
And last but not least, last Saturday would have been my dear grandmother's 99th birthday if she were still living. It wasn't a sad day; I spent a lot of it just reflecting on her and her legacy. She loved baseball and would sincerely be over the moon about the the Cubs in the World Series right now!
But, onto our topic (side note: I hate when I haven't written in awhile; I have so much to catch you all up on and then these posts are incredibly lengthy! Working on it... I promise!). I have a confession to make: I. HATE. WAITING. Ok, wait. Hate is such a strong word. How about this: I'm not very good at waiting. Now, I can wait reasonable amounts of time in line, at a restaurant, to vote, to get a gas pump. But in general? I just really have a hard time waiting. Case-in-point: last week I sent my friend a text message and when I didn't get a response in about 20 minutes, I sent back this: "Uh, hello?" And he (gently) reminded me that he was, as I was, in the process of leaving for work and getting those things done and called me impatient. All I could do was laugh, because it's certainly the truth. I'm not as bad as the man in the Fifth Third commercials (have you seen it?) but still, I'm not a very patient person. Not even, dare I say it? With God.
Yeah, I said it. Look at me, owning my truth! I am not patient, not even when I'm waiting on God. Now this isn't all of the time, but it certainly happens when I figure, in my own mind, that it has been long enough and surely He has come to a decision by now! I know, laughable, right? But let me give you a very real example. So, it's been a whopping 1186 days, or, 3 years, 2 months and 28 days since I lost my job (I didn't know those exact numbers, had to use Google to find a calculator for it). And I'm no closer this year to having a full-time gig than I was a year ago, two years ago or even three years ago. It's been very frustrating, but also a situation that fuels my impatience. Because you see, I figure that He has had enough time to move mountains and send me a job! But, it just hasn't happened like that. And I won't lie, I am at the edge of worry about the whole thing, because, let's face it, that's a mighty long time to not have a steady income in your household, right? But, on the other hand, He hasn't failed me yet, so why would he start now? The Lord's prayer reminds us to ask for our "daily bread" - remember that post? Here it is if you need a refresher. So I try to remember that and not worry about days that haven't come and just focus on each new day.
But what do you do while you're waiting? Real talk - what do you do? When you look around and it seems like everyone else is getting a new job, a new house, a new car, engaged (and you can't even keep a boyfriend/girlfriend), pregnant, travelling - it can make you feel bad or worse, it can spark feelings of envy or resentment, especially if you feel you are just as "___" fill in the blank as they are. Bottom line? You want to know when it's going to be your turn. Or worse still, you think that God has forgotten about you. And your shoulders slump and you just want to give up.
This here thing? I'm speaking from experience. I've felt all of those things, even as recently as yesterday. True story, I was on social media, scrolling down my timeline, and ran across a friend celebrating an anniversary and while I was happy for them, I felt some kind of way. Why? Because I'm divorced, and the marriage I thought I would have had by now didn't happen and because I want to celebrate anniversaries too, darn it! Funny, but true.
So for real, what should you be doing while you are waiting for your breakthrough, blessing, miracle, testimony, answered prayer - whatever you call it - what should you be doing while you are waiting???? I'm pretty sure that feeling envious and resentful aren't on the list, although those are both very real emotions for when you feel that God has forgotten you. Ouch. Who wants to feel like they are forgotten? Unloved? Abandoned? No one! It's not a good feeling at all!
Know that God doesn't want you to feel those things either; those negative feelings are the trick of the enemy to get you off course and to stop you from a) praying and b) believing in the power of your prayers. Another trick the enemy uses is the trick of comparison, and social media is a powerful tool that feeds into that (hmm, I will write about that another time). You with me? Stay with me.
The first thing you must do is to remember these things: 1) God never forsakes you. 2) God is good all the time. 3) Nothing is impossible if you believe. 4) God's word endures forever. 5) It's ALWAYS God's timing, and not yours. 6) Continue to pray. 7) Trust God no matter the circumstances. 8) Stand firmly on his promises. 9) Never give up or give in. 10) Give God praise while you're still waiting on the answers to your prayers. I also found a blog post devoted to this very topic, entitled "Helpful Ways to Wait on God When You Don't Want To," that did an excellent job of providing some Do's and Don'ts. You can read it here.
All this is well and good, right? But the reality is that while you are praying, you will need to add some scriptures to those prayers to help you to stand firm in your faith. Here are are few you can use for that purpose (these should go right in your war room - whether that's a closet, poster board or notebook):
Psalm 37:7- Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him (NIV).
Psalm 27:13-14- I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord (NIV).
James 1:12 - Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him (NIV).
Hebrews 6:15 - And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised (NIV).
Hosea 6:3 - Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth (NIV).
Psalm 13:5 - But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation (NIV).
Psalm 62:5 - Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him (NIV).
1 Peter 5:10 - And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast (NIV).
Last week, I was listening to Steve Harvey on the radio ('round about 5 am, at the beginning of his show, he provides some very real, spiritual motivation for his listeners), and he said something so profound that I had to make a voice note so that I wouldn't forget what he was saying. What did he say? Here it is: "Pray for strength for the journey while you are waiting. Don't get knocked off course because oftentimes the blessing comes after the test. Don't pray for obstacles to be removed, because they are part of the journey. Both the heavens and the imps hear your prayers, and they will try to knock you off course." How about I was ready to shout in my car???
I was sharing some of my anxieties with a friend yesterday over email, and she wrote back to me: "Remember delayed is not denied God is working on some things in your life. God see & know everything you're going through and if you just hold on things will change for your good. God want to do a new thing in your life and a fresh thing in you. You must be grounded to realize the season you're about to come into." It brought tears to my eyes, and just confirmed that I was supposed to write this post (the topic came to me a few weeks ago but I'm just getting around to it) and also gave me the will to go on just one more day.
Last, but not least, I found a prayer on Pinterest (yes, Pinterest) that I encourage you to put in your war room as well (I certainly intend to). It is originally from here, https://heathercking.org/, and it is called "A Prayer for When You Are Waiting" and it goes like this:
My Father,
I know I am impatient, so prone to worry, to give up, to lose hope.
Help me to rest in Your promises today.
In this season of waiting, renew my joy in this moment so that I do not miss Your presence in this place. Thank You for being with me and for never giving up on me. Thank You for always working for my good and for Your glory even when I can't see.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
So hold on just a little while longer and wait on the Lord. I'm waiting - and praising Him while I do. What about you? You know what to do - Holla @ Darvi and let me know what you do while you're waiting! Have a wonderful weekend and as always, be blessed. Here's some music to take us out:
Greetings, Blogland!I will apologize for not being more consistent this year, but if I can just be my usual transparent self for a minute… For one thing, there’s been so much going on that both makes me happy and that has broken my heart (personally as well as in our turbulent world) and I do have a partially written post about all of that.But seriously? For real, for real?I’ve been hurt and angry, and busy and bitter.I’m pretty sure that’s not what you were expecting to read, huh?But, it’s the truth. Before I go further, let me say this - to my readers who actually know me in real life, I hope that you can read without judging; this is me talking about where I am, not disparaging anyone else. K? Great, let's keep going.
You see, the days after my last post marked a year since life as I knew it changed (I want to be dramatic and say "forever," but of course I don't know that. I only know what it felt like at that time, but I digress - as usual), and I fell into a severe funk. The move, the feelings, the uncertainty, the abandonment, the memories, the feelings, the tears - they all came back. And not in a just for a moment and you move on kind of way. No, it was like I was reliving it all over again and let me tell you, it has been awful! What's worse is that it's not something you can just share with anyone, because people feel like after a year you should be well-adjusted and "ok." But who determines what is "ok" and how long it takes you to get there????
Approximately a week after my last post, my cousin died - suddenly. There was no lengthy illness, no prognosis and no warning. One minute he was here and then, suddenly, he wasn't. And we've struggled with it. I'm sure no one has struggled more than his wife and daughter, but it impacted us all. I can honestly say that the full weight of it didn't hit me until the funeral last Friday. I have an aversion to funerals, ever since my grandmother died, I can't fully explain it, but I'll try. When it's a member of my family, there is a terror that grips me the moment I pull up to the church. As I get closer to the church, I start breathing hard. Before I walk in, I have to take a deep breath and talk myself into actually going in. Pause again in the foyer, take another deep breath before walking inside. To get to the front where the rest of my family was assembled, I had to walk down a long aisle and the whole time, there was a conversation going on in my head, where I willed myself to keep walking and to not duck out before anyone saw me (I purposely skipped the wake and the group family walk in thing). I stopped short of going all the way to the front; I settled on the third row back. Too late, my cousin saw me and had me move up, closer to the fold. So I did, ended up sitting behind my mother and aunt, who were on the first row.
My cousin was a military man (USMC) and a policeman. The photo above is the keepsake that was given to his wife at the repast by the Village he served for 21 years. Flanking the (beautiful) casket were two photos that had been blown up to poster size; his boot camp photo from 1977 and his police officer photo. I tried to concentrate on the singing, the words being spoken, but I ended up just looking at the ceiling and trying not to have a full scale panic attack. I did alright for awhile, then it was just too much and I needed an escape to collect myself. I went out and found one of my first cousins in the foyer, unable to walk back in. Eventually we did, arms linked and leaning on one another. What had us so messed up? I'll tell you. It was looking around at our little family cluster and knowing that it wouldn't be long before we'd be back again and that it never gets any easier.
Anyway, the minister who gave the eulogy being apprised of the circumstances surrounding my cousin's life and sudden death, aptly titled his sermon "How do we adjust to suddenly?" That caught my attention, and as he spoke, the wheels started turning in my head and I took my phone out and started making notes (that's been happening a lot lately, probably seriously weirded my cousin out), I figured I could use them for something later (and here we are). This is what he said in reference to my cousin: don't allow grief to be the representation of his life; don't allow grief to tarnish who he was or take it into our future. Instead, he told us to stand on his legacy and memories. He really had my attention now. He used Romans 8:18 to encourage us to look towards the future: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (NIV). He further encouraged us to always thank God, even when we don't understand the "suddenly." Psalm 34:1 says: "I will extol the Lord at all times, his praise will always be on my lips" (NIV). Then he said perhaps the most profound thing of all, the thing that has had me thinking for the past five days - he said, "don't let a moment convince you that there's no God."
Whoa. That was deep, right? I mean, nobody really does that, do they?I don't do that, do I???? That's what has been on my mind and I've come to the conclusion that yeah, maybe I have. Just a wee bit. Not in a my whole worldview has been shattered and the foundation of my faith is shattered kind of way, naw, not like that. But, if I'm being honest (and that's what we do, right?), I have to admit that at certain moments, the "suddenlys," if you will, I may have had the question of whether He saw me. Whether, in this huge world with all that's going on, He actually had time to see and hear me too.
Am I the only one??? I'm talking about the times when a suddenly or two comes up on you and you don't have time to catch your breath and you're in a corner with your back against the wall and you have a constant stream of tears rolling down your face and you are full of fear and panic, and you can barely even get the words to a prayer out in between your sobs - those kind of suddenlys. Because you see, framily, those are the kinds of suddenlys I've had. The kind of suddenlys that make you cry yourself to sleep, then wake up with a fresh set of tears that have you in sunglasses and reapplying your eye makeup in the office bathroom, only to cry it back off throughout the day. Job loss? Suddenly. Relationship loss? Suddenly. Friendship loss? Suddenly. Pulling the last few dollars from your savings account and you have no further resources? Suddenly. The loss of a loved one? Suddenly. When you really and truly don't know what to do, it could be very easy to fall in the mindset that there is no God or that He has forgotten about you.
And you know what? That is just what the enemy wants you to believe, that you don't matter, that you are not important and that He doesn't have time to worry about little old you. Don't believe it! The word says, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV). Maybe you weren't destined to be a prophet like Jeremiah, but the point is that, He knew us all befor we were born, and He has a plan for us, even in the midst of suddenly. "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7 (NIV). If you're like me, you've probably heard that verse many times, but maybe you never understood the full weight of what it actually means. It means that He cares about you so much that He knows how many hairs are on your head, and that you are worth to him than whole groups of His other creations (paraphrasing of course)! It means that, like the Israel and New Breed song, you are NOT forgotten, God knows your name! Great spot for a song, don'tcha think? Go check out the song, you know you wanna!
What a great song, right? It always makes me happy! And it reminds me. Even in the bad times. Because here's the flip side, just as a "suddenly" can change things for worse, a suddenly can also change things for good. Don't believe me? Let's look at 2 Chronicles 29:36: "And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly." (KJV); "Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly" (NIV). Or how about in Matthew 15 where the Canaanite woman approached Jesus for help because her daughter was demon possessed; and Jesus replied that it was not right to tkae the children's bread and toss it to the dogs. Her response was that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. And in verse 28, Jesus answered: "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed at that moment (NIV) or "suddenly" if you're reading KJV.
All well and good, right? How does this apply in your real life? Heck, in my real life? I'm glad you asked! What it means is that we shoudn't lose hope in the face of tragedies that suddenly occur, whether in our own personal lives or in the world. God is still God despite the bad. Instead, we are to keep our praise always (in the words of one of my favorite Fred Hammond songs) - may as well drop it here, right? Here you go:
And know that just as suddenly as tragedy happens, God can open the floodgates of heaven and bless you beyond what you could ever imagine! From job loss and unemployment to multiple job offers! From relationship loss to a better relationship! From friendship loss to new friends that truly understand the true meaning of friendship! From the loss of a loved one to the birth of a new loved one (true story, my nephew was born a year to the day after my grandmother's death).
But we still haven't answered the question, have we? The question posed by the minister and inherent in the title of this post - How do we adjust to suddenly? My answer can be summed up like this: getting into God's word for direction and trust. And here is my scriptural authority:
Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (NIV)
and
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight" (NIV) or "He will direct your path" for the KJV people.
It's not easy, not by a long shot. But, every day is a new day to try again. And who knows? Today could just be the day that your "suddenly" comes!
Anybody else out there either adjusting to a suddenly or suddenly been blessed? Holla @ Darvi and let's talk about it!!! Be Blessed! xoxoxoxo
Farewell, Cousin Felton! I'm glad God saw fit to have us be family. Your legacy of serving and protecting will live on.
What's good, Blogland??? So, I have to admit, I spent the entire holiday weekend in bed, watching television or sleeping (well, I did do a little straightening up Saturday morning, also a 30-45 minute Walmart run on Saturday and church/errands on Sunday for about 4 hours total). One reason is that I was binge-watching the entire first season of Greenleaf (total sidenote, if you haven't watched it, go do it NOW!!! It is an excellent show (and this is coming from someone who doesn't watch a whole lot of television these days)). Another reason is that I was having a little bit of a pity party... but, today dictated that I get up and deal with the outside world. They happen, don't be alarmed, sometimes we all have a "woe is me" moment; the thing is to not let it drag on too long and get yourself up! So anyhoo, I'm going to make this post as brief as I can (but no promises!). I'm sure you think that the title is odd, but I promise you won't when I finish. Ready? Great, let's dig in. So for the month of August, my church, Victory Apostolic, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Every year in August in lieu of weekly bible class, the church has revival with visiting ministers coming in. This year was no different. So I must confess - I have NEVER attended any of the revival nights until last week (August 30th) and that was mainly because I was guilted into going (transparent city over here). It doesn't really matter why I made it, but by the time I get to the end of this, you will be glad that I did (as was I)... So our guest speaker for the evening was Pastor E. Dewey Smith from Atlanta. I had never heard him speak before, but let me tell you - he's a dynamic speaker! If I'm ever in his area, I will most definitely attend his church. But I digress. The theme for this year's anniversary was "Extolling our Past, Embracing our Present and Envisioning our Future." The scripture was John 12:3:
Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
For those of you unfamiliar with the passage, it takes place approximately 6 days before Passover; they were in Bethany (a few miles from Jerusalem). Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived there; it was one of Jesus' favorite resting spots. The Bible indicates that Jesus loved them (Chapter 11). Pastor Smith used as his topic, "Let your hair down," which he explained was a secular phrase meaning to relax. However, in this sense, Mary, in a moment of celebration, she affirmed the deity of Jesus and literally "let her hair down." How did she do this?
1) She anointed him with perfume (costly perfume)
it cost a year's salary in those days
she poured it onto Jesus' feet in celebration of who He is
nard was never diluted, always used in its purest form
Sidenote: always give God your best
2) She was aware of His person
why we do and for whom we do it is the definition of ministry
See 1st Corinthians: 1-14 letter to the reader; 15 resurrection; 16 resources
stewardship is your eulogy; it expresses your heart toward the one who died for you
those who don't know God don't bring their best
3) She was actively giving praise
back then, women's hair was their "glory"
Mary put her "glory" at the feet of Jesus
she gave Him praise for what he had already done: in John, Chapter 11, Jesus resurrected Lazarus
(I'm sure by now, you are probably wondering where this odd title comes in, just sit tight, I promise, it's relevant!)
4) She was also giving Him praise for what he was going to do
nard was also used as an embalming fluid
Jesus' death is recorded in John, Chapter 19
Now, putting it all together, what can we learn from Mary's letting her hair down? I'm glad you asked! It's really quite simple and it boils down to this: Give God your best praise now in spite of the Hell you've been through, in anticipation of your Chapter 19 (the manifestation of God's blessings in your life)! One more 'gain for those slow to catch it:
Your Chapter 11 is when you called on God and it seems like He's not hearing you or showing up late (it's in your Bible, go read it!);
Your Chapter 12 is when you give God your best praise now, in spite of;
Your Chapter 19 is the manifestation!
Got it? Good - I'm praising God for my Chapter 19 and yours too!
Did this help somebody today? I hope so! You know the drill, Holla @ Darvi and let me know! Be Blessed!!!
Hello, Blogland Framily!!! As you can see, I took the summer off. Unintentionally at first, but then it became very intentional as I realized that I needed to recharge my batteries. It's not that I haven't had anything to say; there has been so much happiness, sadness, pride and defeat this summer, both in my personal world and the world at large.
There was sadness, anger and outrage and more and more unarmed African-Americans were gunned down, both by police and cruel, heartless thugs who clearly don't aim well. There was more sadness as I witnessed the horrifying shootings of police officers in Dallas and Louisiana. There was pride as I watched so much #blackgirlmagic at the Olympics, yet defeat when I saw how the public was more concerned about Gabby's hair than celebrating her accomplishments. More defeat as the closeted, unspoken racism in America is now front and center, with the upcoming Presidential Election at the forefront. And that's just a snippet of the things that happened in the world at large - there were many more happy and sad moments that occurred over the summer.
It was the same in my personal world. July 31st marked year 3 since my professional world was turned upside down. It is very close to the one-year anniversary of my personal world being shaken, not stirred. The same for my friendship garden - it looked very different than it did just one year ago (for awhile it looked like rabbits had eaten everything, much like they're doing to the grass in my yard right now). Just a year ago found me on the edge of a precipice with a wall at my back... But God.
You see, there has been enough happening to make one want to holler, in the words of Marvin Gaye. Enough to make even the strongest person want to sit a spell and catch their breath. And make no mistake, I've been tired, weary if you will. And I've had to take some much needed rest periods from lots of people and things over the past year so I could quiet myself and hear. This summer was no exception.
This summer, I took my first vacation in 9 years. And although I had trepidation about spending the money, I'm glad I did it - I needed it. This summer I also made a life-altering decision concerning my career - I've decided to give it up. Well, at least in its most common form. I will still be doing some project work while I transition, but I am actively pursuing opportunities outside of the field of law. I will also be pursuing something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl - teach. So I will be going into the K-8 classroom as well to determine if I truly want to switch to education permanently. A huge decision, but one that has lifted a huge burden from me (not to mention erased some stress...).
Speaking of, I'm not sure if it's the stress or hormones that have me on the edge of crying a lot of days here lately. Case in point, Sunday after church, while having a conversation with my journey sister, when she looked me in my eyes and asked how I was, I just lost it! I told her the truth - that I was tired and a bit overwhelmed (I had gotten some bad news on Friday that had greyed up my weekend a bit). The good thing (and a thing I really like about my church) is that immediately she, Evangelist Carpenter, one of my sorority sisters and another friend, who were all nearby, noticed my distress and immediately came over to comfort me. Then my pastor walked over, inquired and he prayed for me. That made me feel much better and grateful to be in a ministry where the pastor is not above touching the people.
Yesterday (Tuesday) morning I had the occasion to be at the homegoing services of my line sister and found myself sitting next to a "seasoned" soror from my undergraduate chapter (1973) that I love dearly, and we were talking and just catching up before the services began as it's been some time since we've seen one another. She started asking me about different aspects of my life, most of which are dramatically different from the last time we had spoken. She was visibly shocked and I had to struggle to keep it together, and I explained to her simply that I was tired and needed a break. Other things were forced breaks that almost broke me, but a break nonetheless.
Anyhoo, later on yesterday found me with my journey sister checking in again and catching up with one another. Everything boiled down to the same sentiment - I'm tired. Before we left to head over to church for service, she handed me a gift bag. Inside was a lovely one-year devotional journal:
She said, although the year is almost over over, this is a way for you to stay connected and to be sure and have at least a few moments of quiet time with God. I was very surprised, grateful and it's so pretty! The embossing reads, "My strength and my song," and on the back is Psalm 59:16 in its entirety. Very nice and apropos. Right?
I'm sure by now you're wondering where I'm going with all of this long, drawn-out story, am I right? Well, I'm glad you asked!
I had initially decided to wait and start the devotion tomorrow (Thursday, September 1st) since it was the beginning of a new month, but for some reason I grabbed it and put it in my bag today. Then I started to leave it in the car when I got to the train, but at the last minute, I grabbed it. Once I was settled on the train I turned to August 31st and guess what the title was? "Do not grow weary." Apparently I needed to read it TODAY.
The scripture for today - "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:19 ESV The devotional reading begins to discuss the concept of sowing and reaping, basically that you reap what you sow. For example, if you plant corn, you will reap corn. You can confidently sow a row of spinach and not expect cauliflower to grow instead - you didn't sow cauliflower seeds. The devotion goes on to note that the same principle applies to sowing seeds of goodness: "If you sow seeds of goodness like forgiveness, gentleness, and honesty, you are guaranteed to reap the fruit of those seeds. There is one trick - don't give up. Don't plan to reap something that you just started sowing. Maybe you will see fruit immediately from the good seeds you planted, but in most cases, it takes years. Rest assured, you will eventually reap the seeds of goodness if you don't give up." The last piece of the devotional was a short prayer: "Lord, help me not grow weary in doing good. Give me long term vision that doesn't get discouraged in short term losses." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the point of this post.
When I say I'm tired, I'm not referring to my physical body (although that clearly does get tired and certainly my 45-year old body that stays constantly in a state of revolution gets tired with no shortage of help from my blood pressure medicine, but I digress). I'm referring to emotionally; exhausted from the effort of continually pouring into people and things and feeling like it is of no use. And I'm tired, that's for certain. The thing is, and what I've taken from this devotional reading, is that while it's natural to feel tired/weary when you aren't seeing results right away from your efforts, you should press on. Applying that to my own life, it might appear to the naked eye that I have given up in some respects. But, under the surface, know that each transition and life change has been prayed about and divinely directed. Thing is, I feel like everything is moving in slow motion, and in some cases, one step forward, two steps back. That feeling makes you want to chuck in the towel and just let go. And that's precisely what the devotion was speaking to - not giving up your long term vision out of discouragement! You SHALL reap a harvest of blessings!!!
So I encourage you today, whether it be a job search, furthering your education, opening a business - whatever it is, faint not!!! And here's a song to feed your spirit as well, Ricky Dillard and New G, "If We Faint Not."
How was your summer???? Holla @ Darvi and let me know! Be blessed, Blogland and enjoy your evening!!! xoxoxoxo
Hello, Blogland Framily!!! As you can see, I took the summer off. Unintentionally at first, but then it became very intentional as I realized that I needed to recharge my batteries. It's not that I haven't had anything to say; there has been so much happiness, sadness, pride and defeat this summer, both in my personal world and the world at large.
There was sadness, anger and outrage and more and more unarmed African-Americans were gunned down, both by police and cruel, heartless thugs who clearly don't aim well. There was more sadness as I witnessed the horrifying shootings of police officers in Dallas and Louisiana. There was pride as I watched so much #blackgirlmagic at the Olympics, yet defeat when I saw how the public was more concerned about Gabby's hair than celebrating her accomplishments. More defeat as the closeted, unspoken racism in America is now front and center, with the upcoming Presidential Election at the forefront. And that's just a snippet of the things that happened in the world at large - there were many more happy and sad moments that occurred over the summer.
It was the same in my personal world. July 31st marked year 3 since my professional world was turned upside down. It is very close to the one-year anniversary of my personal world being shaken, not stirred. The same for my friendship garden - it looked very different than it did just one year ago (for awhile it looked like rabbits had eaten everything, much like they're doing to the grass in my yard right now). Just a year ago found me on the edge of a precipice with a wall at my back... But God.
You see, there has been enough happening to make one want to holler, in the words of Marvin Gaye. Enough to make even the strongest person want to sit a spell and catch their breath. And make no mistake, I've been tired, weary if you will. And I've had to take some much needed rest periods from lots of people and things over the past year so I could quiet myself and hear. This summer was no exception.
This summer, I took my first vacation in 9 years. And although I had trepidation about spending the money, I'm glad I did it - I needed it. This summer I also made a life-altering decision concerning my career - I've decided to give it up. Well, at least in its most common form. I will still be doing some project work while I transition, but I am actively pursuing opportunities outside of the field of law. I will also be pursuing something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl - teach. So I will be going into the K-8 classroom as well to determine if I truly want to switch to education permanently. A huge decision, but one that has lifted a huge burden from me (not to mention erased some stress...).
Speaking of, I'm not sure if it's the stress or hormones that have me on the edge of crying a lot of days here lately. Case in point, Sunday after church, while having a conversation with my journey sister, when she looked me in my eyes and asked how I was, I just lost it! I told her the truth - that I was tired and a bit overwhelmed (I had gotten some bad news on Friday that had greyed up my weekend a bit). The good thing (and a thing I really like about my church) is that immediately she, Evangelist Carpenter, one of my sorority sisters and another friend, who were all nearby, noticed my distress and immediately came over to comfort me. Then my pastor walked over, inquired and he prayed for me. That made me feel much better and grateful to be in a ministry where the pastor is not above touching the people.
Yesterday (Tuesday) morning I had the occasion to be at the homegoing services of my line sister and found myself sitting next to a "seasoned" soror from my undergraduate chapter (1973) that I love dearly, and we were talking and just catching up before the services began as it's been some time since we've seen one another. She started asking me about different aspects of my life, most of which are dramatically different from the last time we had spoken. She was visibly shocked and I had to struggle to keep it together, and I explained to her simply that I was tired and needed a break. Other things were forced breaks that almost broke me, but a break nonetheless.
Anyhoo, later on yesterday found me with my journey sister checking in again and catching up with one another. Everything boiled down to the same sentiment - I'm tired. Before we left to head over to church for service, she handed me a gift bag. Inside was a lovely one-year devotional journal:
She said, although the year is almost over over, this is a way for you to stay connected and to be sure and have at least a few moments of quiet time with God. I was very surprised,d grateful and it's so pretty! The embossing reads, "My strength and my song," and on the back is Psalm 59:16 in its entirety. Very nice and apropos. Right?
I'm sure by now you're wondering where I'm going with all of this long, drawn-out story, am I right? Well, I'm glad you asked!
I had initially decided to wait and start the devotion tomorrow (Thursday, September 1st) since it was the beginning of a new month, but for some reason I grabbed it and put it in my bag today. Then I started to leave it in the car when I got to the train, but at the last minute, I grabbed it. Once I was settled on the train I turned to August 31st and guess what the title was? "Do not grow weary." Apparently I needed to read it TODAY.
The scripture for today - "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:19 ESV The devotional reading begins to discuss the concept of sowing and reaping, basically that you reap what you sow. For example, if you plant corn, you will reap corn. You can confidently sow a row of spinach and not expect cauliflower to grow instead - you didn't sow cauliflower seeds. The devotion goes on to note that the same principle applies to sowing seeds of goodness: "If you sow seeds of goodness like forgiveness, gentleness, and honesty, you are guaranteed to reap the fruit of those seeds. There is one trick - don't give up. Don't plan to reap something that you just started sowing. Maybe you will see fruit immediately from the good seeds you planted, but in most cases, it takes years. Rest assured, you will eventually reap the seeds of goodness if you don't give up." The last piece of the devotional was a short prayer: "Lord, help me not grow weary in doing good. Give me long term vision that doesn't get discouraged in short term losses." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the point of this post.
When I say I'm tired, I'm not referring to my physical body (although that clearly does get tired and certainly my 45-year old body that stays constantly in a state of revolution gets tired with no shortage of help from my blood pressure medicine, but I digress). I'm referring to emotionally; exhausted from the effort of continually pouring into people and things and feeling like it is of no use. And I'm tired, that's for certain. The thing is, and what I've taken from this devotional reading, is that while it's natural to feel tired/weary when you aren't seeing results right away from your efforts, you should press on. Applying that to my own life, it might appear to the naked eye that I have given up in some respects. But, under the surface, know that each transition and life change has been prayed about and divinely directed. Thing is, I feel like everything is moving in slow motion, and in some cases, one step forward, two steps back. That feeling makes you want to chuck in the towel and just let go. And that's precisely what the devotion was speaking to - not giving up your long term vision out of discouragement! You SHALL reap a harvest of blessings!!!
So I encourage you today, whether it be a job search, furthering your education, opening a business - whatever it is, faint not!!! And here's a song to feed your spirit as well, Ricky Dillard and New G, "If We Faint Not."
How was your summer???? Holla @ Darvi and let me know! Be blessed, Blogland and enjoy your evening!!! xoxoxoxo
Hello my blogland framily!!! I hope you've all had a wonderful week! Last week went by and found me dealing with a blood pressure flare up. Let me give you background: I've always had low blood pressure; never higher than 116/65-70. One Saturday in November 2014 found me not feeling well and I had no idea what was wrong. I talked to my sister, who's a nurse, and she suggested (strongly) that I go have my blood pressure checked. I finally found somewhere to have it checked and it was super high (that was right in the midst of some personal life drama), ended up in urgent care, had a follow-up doctor's appointment and ended up on a low dose of meds for 4 months. Had full bloodwork done - nothing. It went back to a (new) normal, then it flared back up again in December 2015. I had an EKG and a stress test at that time and all was well with my heart. Fast forward to last Monday and I started not feeling well, took my blood pressure and it was up. I left early to get some rest. Tuesday it was good, but Wednesday I was feeling terrible again, and when I got home and took my pressure, the bottom number was up to 96 and was rising! (*sidebar* I sound like somebody's Big Momma, talking about "my pressure," lol!) I drank some NASTY apple cider vinegar water and it went down enough for me to sleep. The next morning, it was right back up, the bottom number got up to 100 and my doctor told me to come in immediately. Long story short, I'm back on meds again, for a few months, then another round of bloodwork to come so we can try and find out what the cause is. All that to say, you all keep me in your prayers; not feeling this full scale revolution thing that is happening with this over 40 body of mine!!! Onto the subject of my post- as you know, this past Sunday was Father's Day. At first, I wasn't gonna be able to hang out with my dad because his schedule was chock full. So I was a little disappointed, although I didn't tell him that, but I said ok. I sent him a Father's Day text early in the morning before I started getting ready for church and he called to say that he thought about it and he was going to make the time to hang out with me. Yay! See, the thing is, I'm thinking I'm kind of a daddy's girl... I was not fortunate enough to have my parents growing up, due to grown up drama that had nothing really to do with me. As a result, I didn't have a "daddy" per se (I've stated before that I lived with my grandparents from the age of 8 until I got married and moved out when I was 23). I struggled with not having my parents, despite having very loving grandparents. I had a very tenuous relationship with my parents; I didn't really have a relationship with either of them until I was an adult. Then it was almost like tug of war between them for awhile, which kinda sucked! When I had my kids, I sat both of them down and asked them to just be the best grandparents they could be. And you know what? To their credit, they have been AWESOME!!! My mom, "Little Grandma," and my dad, "Grandpa-pa," have surpassed my wildest dreams - they love my kids and my kids love them. Awesome sauce! I took my first photo with both of my parents in 2006... I was almost 35. Let that marinate. Anyway, fast forward to 2010 when my grandmother was sick, hospitalized and later died. I ended up spending a lot of time with my mother and a shift happened in our relationship.Slowly, but surely, she began to fill the void left by my grandmother. She can't replace grandma, but she has definitely been my mom when I needed her to be. And for that, I am forever grateful... But this post is about my dad. So my parents were young when I was born and it was pretty scandalous in the early 70s for young, unwed, church folks to end up pregnant. There was a lot of drama going on at that time and unfortunately, I lost my dad in the process. That had a lot of repercussions, (which are not the subject of this post), but I always wanted and NEEDED my dad. Over the years, I reached out several times and would "catch and release." When I really grew up, I reached out again, and we both decided to try this thing again. And you know what? We haven't looked back since that day! Now, sometimes things are a little wonky because we're not used to being there (ie. - he's not used to having a daughter and I'm not used to having a dad), but we are working on it. I've learned (scratch that, still learning) that I still need him, even though I'm 45 and have my own kids, I still need my daddy. Only daddies can have righteous indignation when someone does their daughters wrong! Only daddies still want to protect their "baby girl" when she is hurting. Only daddies (and mommies) can feel the anguish of not being able to help when they know their child is in trouble. Only daddies can make their daughter feel like a princess when he gives her unexpected gifts, takes her out for dinner, bakes her red velvet cake and sweet potato pie on request, makes paella, does tequila shots with her for her birthday, and honors her requests for selfies (even when you hate the way you look in pictures because you know that she scrapbooks and pictures are important to her)- - - wait, maybe that's just MY DADDY! And we've made a commitment to getting together at least once a month (last month for birthday dinner, and this month for Father's Day lunch). All of that is a good thing and I've been loving the extra time with my dad. And I'm loving that we've been able more and more to have one-on-one time to just be. And you know what? I've learned that my dad kinda needs me too... (but that's not the subject of this post either). Scripture tells the parable of the prodigal son over in Luke 15:11-32. If you're not familiar, here's a recap: a father has two sons, the youngest of which asks for his inheritance early. the father gives it to him, and he runs off and spends it wastefully, ends up in a famine, all before deciding to go home, beg for forgiveness and ask his father if he can be one of the hired servants. Instead, his father sees him on the road, welcomes him back and prepares a feast for him, including a fat calf that was generally reserved for special occasions. The older son refused to participate, noting that he had never disobeyed his father or left and he had never had so much as a goat prepared for him and his friends! The father reminded the older son that everything he had would belong to him but that they should still celebrate the return of the younger son, because he was lost and is now found. This parable is the last of Jesus' parables on loss and redemption, about how the Father always welcomes home his lost sheep. So why on earth did I choose this passage of scripture? Well, as usual I thought I was writing about one thing and was led to go in a completely different direction!!! This post was (so I thought) going to be about me and how I'm a new-fangled, 45-year old daddy's girl. But He had other ideas apparently! What it's all about is lost and found.
Yep, that's right. Lost and found. Like my regular blood pressure. LIke my parents, specifically like my daddy. And yes, I am 45 and I call him "daddy" not "dad." But more so like when we leave from under the covering of our Heavenly Father and He always welcomes us back with open arms. Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd and we believers are His sheep. John 10:11 says that the "good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." That is exactly what Christ did for us when he lay down his life for us on Calvary. He's always standing there with open arms ready to welcome us to Him, when we repent and accept Him. And just like my daddy wants to be my helper, protector and treat me like a princess, so does our Heavenly Father want to do the same for us. If we just return to Him, like the prodigal son returned to his father. So all that to say - I'm a certified Daddy's Girl, both for my earthly Father and my Heavenly Father. Just as I thank God for being returned to my earthly father, I also thank God for being returned to Him, because I was one of his lost sheep. And that, is very good news!!! So framily, have a great weekend and if you have strayed from the flock, consider going to church this Sunday and returning. He's waiting for you!!! Don't forget to Holla @ Darvi and be blessed! xoxoxo P.S. - Here's some pics of me and my daddy, from my birthday dinner and Father's Day!
