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 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:
Happy Wednesday. Hump Day. Just over half done with the work week (if you're a Monday-Friday worker), countdown to the weekend. Yeah, all of that! I tried something new with google and the ads; let me know how it looks (I haven't seen them yet...). Anyway, I gotta catch you up on all that has happened in the past week... So today was the day after election day here in Illinois; we had a number of key races going on (besides the Presidential Primary). It was an exciting day for me because I was able to get the Teen registered and he was also able to vote (because he'll be 18 prior to the November election). Now, of course he was a bit miffed at me because I made a big deal out of it (with pictures and everything) and the registrars also made a big deal out of it. So he was NOT a happy camper! He gave me the full teen unaffected stare:
Now ask me do I care? Survey says: "No!" It was a monumental occasion and deserved to be captured! This past weekend, I had the distinct honor of joining the ranks of the Top Ladies of Distinction (TLOD); a professional humanitarian organization that services youth and adults. I am so very excited about this new chapter in my life and hope to make a real difference, (even more so than I already have with my current affiliations), in the very near future. I was inducted at the Area III Conference in Skokie, Illinois, and enjoyed the remainder of the conference: professional development workshops, business meetings, presentation and celebration of graduating seniors, and fellowship with the other ladies. Of course I took a ton of pictures, but here is my very first one as Lady Darvionne:
Don't I look excited???? If you are interested in seeing what the Top Ladies are all about, you can check out the national website here. Now that the festivities are over, it's time to get to work, and I'm up to the challenge! I left the conference early enough to make it to the second service on Sunday (y'all know I don't play about church on Sundays) and I'm so glad I did! To me, my week just goes better when I start it in church, ya know? The sermon was titled: What will you do with Jesus? The text: Matthew 27:15-26. The heart of the message? In the words of that old Bill Withers song: Who is He and what is He to you (relationship)???? Monday night found me in Week 7 of my class (yes, the weeks are flying by). We are still in the old testament, and the lesson was on Atonement (studying the books of Exodus, Leviticus and part of Numbers). And it was a great class with lively discussion (as usual), but that's not really what I want to talk about today. Today during some downtime at the project, I had occasion to do the reading for next week's homework, which is on the subject of Leadership. And given that I just cast my vote on yesterday for my choices of the leadership of the country and in some of my state and county offices, I figured it would be a good time to share that lesson with you. Ready? Let's go. Each lesson in the workbook begins with a scripture and then a section called "Our Human Condition." The one for this lesson reads as follows: "We cannot tolerate political disorder and confusion. We swing between desiring unity born of faithfulness and want to 'do our own thing.' We need leadership. Please, somebody give us a sense of direction." Now I felt this discussion to be apropos, given that we are voting this year to elect the new leader of the United States. In this lesson, we begin with the book of Joshua, which is a transitional book, taking Israel from the time of Moses into the promised land. From there, we move into the book of Judges. Now, this was a time where Israel had no king and God was the ruler of the people. However, if you're even just a tiny bit familiar with the old testament, then you know that this didn't work out so well... According to the lesson, the recurring pattern during the period of the judges was apostasy (abandonment of faith), punishment, penitence and peace. Sounds kinda like the cycle we're in at the moment... Throughout the bible, God has used unlikely people to be his instruments. The judges were no different. The three noted in the lesson were Deborah, Gideon and Samson. Nothing extraordinary about them, yet they were called and used to fulfill God's purposes for His people. Anyhoo, the lesson goes on to say: "God calls leaders to give people a sense of direction and purpose. When the leaders are godly, they give sound direction; when they are disobedient or ambivalent, they lead people astray." The lesson then goes on to ask questions, and the one that stood out for me, was this one: "Describe what would happen if in your country or your church or your household 'all the people did what was right in their own eyes' (Judges 21:25)." Kinda sounds like what we are seeing today, huh? I know this is a bit different from my usual type of posts, but still important nonetheless. Whatever your political affiliation/viewpoint, it is extremely important that you vote, but also and perhaps even more importantly, that you pray for whomever wins the election (for someone must win and someone else will lose) that they lead with integrity and wisdom and that God will heal our land. We are truly in need of some healing around here! "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 We have some work to do in this country; I am growing increasingly concerned about what the future will look like for my not-so-little people. So as you go about your daily life and say your prayers, throw some in for us - it's critical! Am I concerned for nothing? Oh, and we lost another this morning, Darryl Coley, who had one of the most wonderful voices in gospel music. Don't believe me? Check out this beautiful song by him here. Anyway - am I concerned for nothing??? You know the drill, Holla @ Darvi! Be Blessed! xoxo
Happy Wednesday, Blogland! Yes, I know I only have 28 minutes of Wednesday left (Central time), but hey! I hope everyone's been having a great week so far, I must confess, I have been really chillaxing this week- enjoying the time off while I can and just kinda going with the flow... This will be a very short post, I just really wanna share some thoughts with you about prayer. So I've shared with you that I've been keeping a faith journal that has a prayer section (soon to be upgraded to a stand-alone prayer journal). In it, I've been writing out specific prayer requests for family, friends, my church, etc. (and some of yours as you have sent them to me). The other thing I've been doing is making sure to keep a list of answered prayers (that will make sense if you've seen the movie "War Room"). This morning I said a fervent prayer over a particular situation in my life (I was feeling a little anxious, I will not lie) and within a few hours I had positive confirmation of something I had not been aware of that was the answer to my prayer. Answered prayer. Tonight I had occasion to go back through that prayer section again because I got some very good news from a friend of mine that was the answer to a prayer I've been praying with and for her for a long time now and I wanted to note the date that the prayer was answered. I took a moment to look through the pages and just see how many prayers that have been answered on behalf of myself and others - and I just had to smile. I also noted prayers that haven't been answered (yet), but because I have a concrete record of answered prayers, I will just keep praying on those things and when the time comes, mark them off as well! So not so long after I got the good answered prayer news, I got another notification that some prayers had not been answered in the way expected and there was some disappointment, both on my part as well as the person I was praying for. And it got me to thinking about an article I read the other day, that I wanted to share with you here: "God has not abandoned you: why we must pray through despair." You can read it here. I read it the other day from a Facebook link and it really stuck with me and I knew I wanted to share it with you here. The reason that it stuck with me is because I am a person who experiences the ups and downs of this faith walk, sometimes multiple times a day! There are times when I feel God is very, very far away and other times when I feel that He is right here with me and we're conversing. Reading this article calmed me down, frankly, and let me see that I'm not alone in the roller coaster relationship I sometimes have with God. Please take a look at the article if you feel like God is far away and not hearing your prayers... I posted a few months ago about my answered prayer rock I received on New Member Sunday at church (which is still on my dresser). Remember? In case you've forgotten, here it is again:
It, along with the answered prayers recorded in my journal are a tangible reminder that God does hear and that He is still answering prayer. I leave you today with this scripture that sums it all up:
Matthew 21:21-22New American Standard Bible (NASB)
21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Have a prayer request? Holla @ Darvi and I will put you on my list! Or, if you have answered prayers to share, let me know that too! As always, be blessed!!! xoxo
Hey there, it's me again! By the time you read this, it will be March- this year is going by!
I want to begin by saying thank you to the overwhelmingly positive response to my super transparent post on Monday. That was not an easy thing for me to do, but, I am, and have always been a firm believer that the things we go through are to bless others with our testimonies and I felt led to share it (uh, not when I first started writing, but well, yeah, you get the idea!).
My class is progressing; we skipped a week because our instructor was unable to make it, so instead of Week 6 we just finished Week 5. And let me tell you this - it is a lot of work to truly study the Bible! It's a lot of reading, re-reading, homework and outside books. A lot of reading!!! This first leg of the class (10 weeks) will end this month, then we have two weeks off, pick back up in April and go through June. Y'all just pray my strength in the Lawd - 34 weeks total!!!
Anyway, my attempts at humor aside, today's post, in keeping with the theme of the previous two, is still about being grounded - we will take a look at Bishop TD Jakes' watch night sermon from 2015, "Grace to be Grounded." Now, of course, he started his series with this sermon (and there are two other "grounded" sermons that I won't discuss here but they can be found on you tube or on his website), but I wanted to talk about being grounded first and work my way backwards. Hopefully it will make sense to you as you read on...
Like my play on words? I have young people in the house, so I have heard the Meghan Trainor song, "All about that Bass," and so I thought it would be pretty cool. I assure you that both the Tween and Teen think it's kinda lame... Anyway, I digress - GRACE.
It is defined in the bible dictionary as follows (found here):
Biblically, grace is unmerited favor. It is God's free action for the benefit of His people. It is different from justice and mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. In grace we get eternal life, something that, quite obviously, we do not deserve, but because of God's love and kindness manifested inJesus on the Cross, we receive the great blessing of redemption.
Grace is God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Grace rules out all human merit (Rom. 11:6). It is the product of God that is given by God because of who He is and not because of who we are. It is the means of our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). We are no longer under the Law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). (See 1 Cor. 15:11, Rom. 5:2, 15-20, 2 Cor. 12:9, and 2 Cor. 9:8).
Got it? So let's move on to the sermon - Grace to be Grounded. You can watch the sermon here. The sermon text was Psalm 1:1-3 (sidenote- I have such a problem remembering when Psalms should be plural or singular, so if I'm wrong, roll with it...). It's short, so I will actually include it this time.
Psalm 1:1-3 (NASB):
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
I love this passage of scripture, by the way. It is not something I was overly familiar with prior to hearing this sermon, but afterwards? It has joined the ranks of my faves and hopefully you will see why in short order!
Sermon Notes (beginning with scripture overview):
Meditate day and night = consistency
He who does this shall be like a tree; God will put you in a spot to have an unlimited supply of what you need to finish what He set before you to accomplish
Deeper roots = more and more raw resources
Like a tree with roots: position to connect with the resources needed to sustain everything He will bring out of you
Stabilize yourself - it's closer than you think it is
Live in position, not condition
His fruit, His season
You need to hear you say: "Blessed is the Man"
Blessed= position
We sometimes don't recognize grace because of our problems
The presence of trouble does not destroy the potential for triumph! (you'd better say that again, Bishop!)
Your leaves shall not wither, He will stop the loss!
We have to be a guard over grace; it tells a blessed man what not to do:
Grace must be guarded - be quiet sometimes!
Stay out of the counsel of the ungodly; anything that doesn't line up with God's purpose and people who don't understand your destiny
Be careful who you let influence you
friends mean well, trying to protect you, but God can bless you in the storm (though he slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15))
Be more disciplined
Don't be bitter
For what God is getting ready to do, you need to be GROUNDED
Moving around is cancelling your blessing
You need to be grounded in faith, behavior and in the Word
Put on the whole armor of God to stand still!
Just stand there, no matter what comes
If your feet are planted in the house of the Lord, you will flourish in his gardens (See Psalm 92:13)
The enemy is trying to fight you for your ground
God has given you things that don't look like they're yours, but stand your ground!
The more you stand, the more fruit you will have (gifts):
finances, relationships, opportunities
God's going to put and position you around something too big for you (and it might scare you)
Specific instructions for being grounded:
Faith
Prayer life
Commitment
Settle down!
You can't get to His will your way
You need to be grounded for the harvest; it's coming!
And he closed with having the congregation say this: "My fruit, My season!"
As usual, I'm sure I didn't do the sermon justice, these are just my notes that I'm sharing with you. But do you see why I felt that this was such a powerful sermon??? And I have to stop here and thank my birthday twin, Charlotte, again, for sharing this with me. This was such a powerful series that literally changed my outlook on 2016. I really do encourage you to go check out the sermon itself using the link above.
So what did I take away from the sermon? I'm glad you asked (my favorite Rev. Meeks' statement from my days at Salem)! So here's what Darvi got out of it (besides the notes above):
1) Pray. Always. Without Ceasing. Always. Pray. This is how we develop relationship with God; prayer is a conversation. I promise when I was younger and used to hear the old folks say that, I had no idea what they were talking about! But, I'm older now, and I get it, I truly do. As your prayer life grows, it will indeed be a conversation - He will speak to you. You just have to learn to listen and be open to the many ways in which He speaks.
2) Read the Word. Not just a cursory, random glance, but really read/study. I've found some really nice devotionals and bible studies on Pinterest; you can do a search by subject matter and that is one way to get going with it.
3) Believe. There's a song that goes "what God has for me, it is for me." You can hear it here. You have to truly and deeply within your heart of hearts believe that. No matter what it looks like now. If He told you it was yours, it's yours. But you have to activate your faith and not falter in your belief in His word. This is hard and I stumble here all the time. Just being honest... I always want to believe, but then something will happen that causes me to doubt and I have to start all over again. I'm sure I have missed out on some things just because I faltered at the last minute.
4) Be committed. To prayer, to reading/studying, to your faith, in your church attendance, in your tithing - whatever it is, be committed to doing it. Your commitment should be evident; no one should question it.
5) Stand!!! Every time I hear this, I think of my good friend's mother, Auntie Barbara, singing this at church when I was younger. "After you've done all you can, you just stand." Here's the Donnie McClurkin song, because it is such an awesome song, here. What does that mean? It means, get out of the way, sit yourself down somewhere, get rooted and stay there. Stand does not mean do nothing; it means to do whatever God has told you to do while you wait on Him to bring his promises to you to fruition. Also a thing I struggle with, because I'm impatient. But I've learned, just as I'm sure many of you have, that He has a way of making you sit still. I'm just saying... Remember, His Fruit, His Season...
So my friends, if being grounded requires us to activate faith, prayer, commitment and to stand in order to receive things that we don't deserve, how does it happen? Because surely we all know that we don't deserve anything, right? The answer is simply this: Grace. It is by his Grace that we can even get in the position to be grounded to receive His blessings of our faith and finances. If you missed those, you can read them here (Grounded in Faith and Grounded in Finances).
So, my question for you is this: Who is ready to be like a tree, firmly planted and bearing fruit???? I know I am! If that's you too, Holla @ Darvi and let's talk about it! As always, Be Blessed!!!
Hey Blogland! Yep, this is really real, two posts back-to-back!!! I'm trying to figure out a better schedule, but I've been a bit overwhelmed with this contract work, class/homework, being a mom, trying to do some measure of housework - you get the idea. I sometimes feel busy and yet can't really account for time (although I know I did something, lol!). And I've been spending some time catching up and keeping up with old friends and embracing new ones. I have been able to start saving money again (imagine that!) and have just been looking back at all that I have been through and thanking God! My life was so very different just 6 months ago... Today (Saturday the 27th), I was going through the notes in my Evernote account (I love that app by the way, it was created for nerds like me who live by notes and whatnot... check it out, it is online and has apps that sync across devices! Check it out here). Anyway, I digress. I was going through the notes in my Evernote account and I ran across something I wrote just slightly more than a year ago, February 3, 2015, to be exact. I reread it, and it scared me. It scared me for a number of reasons: 1) just how bad things were, 2) that I had the courage to even admit some of those things to myself, and 3) the level of despair/hopelessness that I felt. Today I am so far from that dark place that it feels like it was a whole lifetime ago, but it really wasn't. All I can do is just thank God, for I know it was truly by His grace that I survived those dark times. Reminds me of another old-school gospel song that we used to sing at my childhood church, "How I Got Over." The lyrics in a partial form (as I recall them, I'm not going to look them up): "How I got over, How I got over my Lord. My soul looks back and wonder, how I got over my Lord." That's what I'm feeling right now. Anyway, something else jumped out at me in that note that I want to talk about today. Something that most people don't like to talk about and is certainly taboo in most African-American households: FINANCES.
Now, don't run and hide in the corner, I'm going to share my personal testimony with you and my reflections on Bishop TD Jakes' Grounded in Finances sermon with you today and hopefully someone will be blessed by it. I'm going to break from my normal format and share my testimony first, then the Bishop's sermon. This will be kinda long, so I apologize in advance, but I'm being led to share it, so here we go...! In that note from just over a year ago, I had written about the severe financial crisis that was ever present in my life at that time, and I decided to share that here to drive home the topic of this here post. I am warning you in advance that some *SUPER TRANSPARENCY* is about to happen, but I am sharing it, ok, I might edit some things because I do know some of you in real life..., but here I am, embracing my imperfect life):
"I owe you lots. For starters, I lost my job in 2013- my last 'official' day was July 31, 2013. I haven't had a job since. I have applied to jobs, had two interviews in the course of a year and a half. I have been temping off and on since November.
The last of my money (savings & deferred compensation funds that I converted to an ira) ran out in September 2014. Unemployment ended in February 2014 ( a year ago). I have about $40 to my name ($10 in checking, $20 in checking, & $10 cash)... but I owe the Tween $20. I am two, about to be three months behind on my car note, most of our utilities are scheduled for shutoff (although I did apply for ceda - utility help for low income people for gas and electricity). I wake up everyday afraid that we won't have lights, heat or water." There was more, but you get the idea. Maybe I'll share the rest one day. Anyhoo, just reading that today, gave me pause and all I could do is look towards heaven and say "Thank You." I'm not where I want to be, but I certainly ain't where I've been! And thank God that I don't look like what I've been through!!! I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with being grounded in finances, right? I'm glad you asked! Let's go to the sermon, from January 24, 2016, "Grounded in Finances." If you want to see it for yourself, here is the link. His text came from Ecclesiastes 10:19, 7:12. He started out with one of the most profound truths I have heard about money (especially in this country): "We have a culture of buying what we want and begging for what we need." Ouch! Ready? Let's go! Check out 1 Timothy 6:5-10, and here are Bishop's points on the subject of money:
we have to follow purpose, not profit;
-there must be BALANCE in our attitude towards money;
-we have to learn to need money without loving it;
-tithes break the curse of loving money - it makes your "stuff" bow down;
-God is looking for people to bless:
someone who will worship Him with their resources;
your profits bow to purpose when you pay tithes and offerings;
when we worship through our resources, we are saying that He is worth more than what He has given us;
when you say the giver is more valuable than the gift, He will always give you more things! (he had an awesome example in here of a time when he bought his wife a gift, and her appreciation made him want to buy her even more things)
God doesn't need, but our financial gifts show what He's worth to us
See Haggai 1:5-11
Hidden idols lead to hidden judgment: when you leave God out of your finances, holes are cut in your pockets...
you can only be blessed by divine permission
if you approach this year emotionally, instead of intellectually, you will miss His blessings this year
get your heart of money and put your mind to money!
(And here is the thing that made me cry as I heard it, because I have lived it): When the enemy brings a curse, he sends the spirit of depression;
God will give you a strategy; for every problem in finances, you need a strategy;
He gives you the resource, what you do with it is your gift back;
(And then he finished with this): Be awesome on your level - don't try to keep up with the Joneses (or anyone else)!
What a sermon, right? Once again, I'm sure I didn't do it justice, so if it peaks your interest, you can check out the whole thing using the above link. If you still don't get where I'm going yet, go back to the very beginning of this post when I said "I have been able to start saving money again (imagine that!)." Then go back and re-read the excerpt from my post from last February... Those are two distinct situations, one on each end of the spectrum (well, I'm not quite at the opposite end of the spectrum, but a lot closer than I was on that day when the burden of financial hardship was weighing heavily on me). And let's keep it real, in order for us to "save" money, for most people that means that we have taken care of EVERYTHING else first... So how did I get here? That's where the rest of the testimony comes in...
So over the time I've had this blog, I've been pretty transparent with things going on in my world. Although I would wager a guess that not very many of the people who know me knew that all of that was going on. And that's ok, everything isn't always to be shared with other people, however, I believe that testimonies are to be shared, for the purpose of help, encouragement, upliftment and just general thanks and glory to God. So that's why I do it (am doing it).
The middle of February 2015 brought some financial ups: I took on an hourly client with a retainer (about a week after that post), and that brought about some immediate financial relief; my real estate clients/closings picked up a bit, which also brought some relief. Some, not all. But it did help to restore my faith and get me out of that dark place. Fast forward to the move (early/mid September). I was in a panic, not sure how I was going to take care of the finances at the new place and I was anxious. On a particularly bad day (I mean full of tears, the ugly cry kind) out of sheer desperation, I called my church and made an appointment with Pastor Varnado, who is in charge of our help ministries (I believe this is correct). Anyway, I sat in her office and tried to explain to her everything that was going on, what I was feeling and I remember crying. A lot. She in turn shared some things with me from her own life, situations that were just as difficult, if not more so than the ones I was facing, all to illustrate where God has brought her and her family from. Being honest, I heard her, but sometimes when you are in the middle of life drama, you can listen without hearing because the depth of your issues are clouding everything over. At the end of our talk, she asked me if there was anything in the world she could do for me, what would that be. And I told her my concerns about being able to pay the October rent, because although there was "future" money in the pipeline, I didn't know if it would be here in time. Now, I had no idea I was going to say that nor was I prepared for what happened next. I got a call in the next few days that Pastor Singleton had been told of my situation and that they were going to take care of it. I was in complete shock and could do nothing but cry and thank God.
Meanwhile, I had just finished up my One-on-One Discipleship Class, which I discussed with Pastor Varnado, and she encouraged me to go back through the prayer lesson and begin to pray specific petitions (again). We talked about other stuff, but today we're just focusing on finances... Anyway, I did, and in my prayers, it came back to my remembrance how I had strayed from being a consistent tithes-payer over the years, and I cringed a bit. I used to have it in my budget and do it like clockwork, no matter what. Then things got tight financially and I stopped being consistent. Then I just stopped. Then I started back on a percentage basis. (Yeah, all types of foolishness...) Then I had nothing to pay tithes with... And then I did everything I could think of, which didn't work... (more foolishness).
So I repented. And I promised God that going forward, I would pay tithes on everything I earned and that I would just "stop" and rely on Him. That was in the middle of September, I believe. I had two phone interviews with recruiters, both on the same day (about the end of September) and I got a call back from one of them the next day, indicating that they wanted me to come in for a face-to-face interview, which I did. Forty-five minutes later, I was called back to say I had been selected for an upcoming project. That project started in October, and I've been with them ever since (on different projects, but the same company). And I've kept my word to God, cheerfully and thankfully, and He's kept His Word to me: I have been blessed financially beyond belief! Need specific examples? Here you go:
I was able to prepay 6 months of my rent in a lump sum in November 2015;
During such an extended period of unemployment, some things ended up in collection; it happens. I've been able to get most of those things paid off in full;
I've been able to do "extra" things for the kids;
I've been able to be a financial blessing to others;
My bills are paid;
I've been able to put money in my savings account, which had a balance of $22 in September 2015...; and
I haven't had to balance my checkbook or pennypinch at all; I've been able to do the things I want and need to do, with 80% of my take home (I do 10% tithes and 10% savings).
Why am I sharing all of this? Good question, I am generally not one for sharing all my business, but God has taken me outside of my comfort zone in this medium. But I don't mind sharing if it helps someone else. So what I believe my testimony is with this post is to a) show you they physical manifestation of where God has brought me from, so that you will know that no matter the depth of the financial crisis you find yourself in at the moment, He hears and He still delivers; and b) the blessings of tithing and changing my attitude towards money (and jobs, for that matter). So to anyone in blogland who is facing a financial challenge (I mean when you really don't know where your next dollar is coming from), keep praying. As Pastor Singleton has said, sometimes God allows things to happen to us so we stop relying on ourselves and learn to rely on Him for everything. Because He is the source of, well, everything! And also so that when He delivers you from it, you will know it was Him that did it.
That's where I am. I know that for all of this to happen in the course of a year, it was nothing but Him. And so today I stand (ok, really sit in front of my computer) before you and unequivocally say that I am "Grounded in Finances."
I apologize for such a long post (and I'm supposed to be getting ready for hostessing duties at the moment but I had to finish), but I think it's important to share our testimonies. This is new for me, but I pray that someone reading this will be encouraged and will share their testimony when their breakthrough comes.
So how about it - did this help anyone??? Holla @ Darvi and let me know! Have a great week and be blessed!
Happy Friday (yes, it really is Friday - I checked)! It's the weekend, baby and I'm looking forward to it!!! I have a full day Saturday lined up (I hope my energy level stays up enough for me to actually make all of these things): Centennial Kickoff Celebration for my high school, Morgan Park (my whole family except one person went there; we have graduates from 1955-1997, so it's a big deal for my family) in the morning; U of I Black Alumni All-Class Reunion Kickoff in the afternoon (the last one was in 2008); and a scrapbook gathering Saturday evening with my scrapbooking group (haven't seen them since last July). I have a busy day tomorrow... So I have a confession to make. I kinda fell off the wagon. Meaning that less than 24 hours after my great inspirational post about turning lemons into lemonade, I found myself engaged in a conversation about the past, which inevitably turned into a discussion of things I prefer not to think about (things lost) and before I knew it, I was having a pity party for myself. Complete with some tears. Had to snap out of it real quick! Still trying actually, it makes me both sad and angry to know that the things I worked so hard for are just gone and there's nothing I can do about it... Just keeping it real here. I feel kinda like this:
The truth is, I know deep inside that as great as some of the things were that I have lost, and the what-feels-like-forever process of rebuilding (again), I believe that what's ahead is going to be better than anything I've ever had. How do I know? Well, for one because I believe His Word and I stand on the promises contained in it. In this case, the specific verse I'm referring to is Romans 8:18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And also, Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good for them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose. And second, because I don't believe He's brought me this far to leave me. You know that's an old time song; I grew up COGIC, so I know a lot of old time songs. Sometimes you have to reach back to those old songs for comfort. My grandmother always played those old time songs at night, so I would go to sleep hearing them. All through my life, whenever I have felt down or uncertain about what was ahead, I have always come back to that song. There are several versions, believe it or not Min. Tim White, who was a guest at church just last Sunday, sang the Rev. James Cleveland version that had me in tears, but my absolute favorite is by Mary Mary. You can listen to it here.
The pertinent lyrics:
"I don't feel noways tired (Rev. Cleveland)/I just can't give up now (Mary Mary)
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's brought me this far, to leave me."
And that's the truth - I really don't believe He's brought me this far to leave me. All that to say that I'm still a work in progress and I'm still figuring all of this out too. It's an everyday process, one step at a time. Right now I'm feeling uncomfortable with some things and I know it's time to prepare for a change. And the biggest part of the change will depend on me, preparing and being ready when it comes. So that is my task, to be ready.
All of this has been on my mind, along with Pastor Singleton's last two Sunday sermons: Recognizing New Things (1/3/2016) and The God of the Second Chance (1/10/2016). Both of those sermons spoke to me personally and I'd like to share some highlights with you.
In "Recognizing New Things," the messages that resonated with me were:
1) you must put the past behind you because if you are locked into the past, you can't recognize the new;
2) while we naively approach the future optimistically, we should hope for the best but be prepared for the worse;
3) Isaiah 43:2 (NIV): When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze; and
4) when God tells you something He's going to do in your life, it doesn't mean that it will be easy, just that He will be with you and see it to fruition.
The bottom line? We have to put and keep our faith and trust in the Living God! (For reference, the scripture text for the sermon was Isaiah 43:18-21).
In "The God of the Second Chance," the messages that resonated with me were:
1) sometimes the answer is not going back, but going forward no matter how hard forward looks;
2) fear does not impact God's ability, but has to do with the object of my (our) faith; just because we don't trust it, that doesn't affect its trustworthiness;
3) sometimes we miss our blessings because we don't trust God; but thankfully He's the God of second chances!;
4) His grace and purpose for your life is why you're still here and been given multiple chances;
5) the keys to success are to trust and obey: it's hard to trust anyone you don't have a relationship with; part of Christian growth is to be put into situations you can't get out of except by trusting God; you won't obey God if you don't know His Word; and
6) to be successful, you must have a strategy: spiritual (trust and obey) and natural (real plans) - they must come together.
For reference, the -scripture text was Joshua 1:1-9, and it was the story of how God gave the descendants of the Israelites a second chance to go to the promised land (their ancestors had messed up by allowing fear to guide them).
And where does all of this lead us? Right back to trust again. I didn't know I would keep coming back to that this week, but here we are. Know that everything I post is for me, my reminders about what is really going on, and if I happen to touch someone else along the way, then I am thankful to have been that vessel. Listen, sometimes I have things on my heart to say to you guys, and I have no idea how I'm going to do that. And almost always, when I go to church on Sunday, there is something in the sermon that provides confirmation to what was placed on my heart to say. Sometimes that's a little scary - this is a totally new experience for me, and I truly am not sure where He's taking me with all of this...
I want to encourage you to get yourself in a teaching ministry; I grew up in church and have spent many, many, MANY days and nights in church throughout my life. (Told y'all I grew up COGIC...). However, it wasn't until I grew up and began seeking understanding for myself about how to apply this stuff to real life, my life, that I had the courage to strike out beyond my childhood church. I have been blessed to have been under three great teaching ministries in my adulthood and it has made all the difference in how I hear, see, and apply scripture to my everyday life. So that's my soapbox for today; if you are in the Chicago area/South Suburbs, I encourage you to check out my church, Victory Apostolic; it is truly a teaching church and great things are happening there.
That being said, I ask for your prayers that I can recognize whatever new things He has for me and that I'm ready for them when they come. I wish all of you a great weekend, I will be tired.com when mine is over! Sidenote: I have been easing back into some creative work, I officially started my December Daily album last week (I got up to Day 7 completed), and I can truly say that it has been fun to relive those little moments (in words and pictures) that can so easily be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I will definitely be doing it again this year. I will share, who knows, you may want to document your own Decembers this year!
So for real, am I the only one who is constantly falling off the trust wagon and having to have a do-over??? Holla @ Darvi, I really don't want to be the only one... Be blessed, framily!
