I have forgiven me

I've been going through the healing cycle of declaring victory in my life and walking in God's Authority - to watching my past like my life is on a movie reel, playing over and over in mind. The "if this..." scenarios pop up, and every now and then I feel entangled in what could have been...what should have been.

This song by Mary Mary ministers deeply to where I am right now, at this moment in my journey.
I've been meditating on the Word in Luke when Jesus tells the woman "Woman, thou are loosed from thine infirmity" Luke 13.

Jesus is speaking to so many of us sisters. He is speaking directly to who we are. He doesn't call this woman by her personal name, to say this healing is just for her...but He speaks directly to her being - "Woman!". Sister I have to tell you today....it is time for us to rise up. Jesus has commanded us to do so. "Woman, thou are loosed!".

Simply Redeemed

This song came on Pandora today and I had never heard it before. These words grabbed me and won't let me go. I purchased the cd and have had this song on repeat all day.

I am a Christian. Do you know what that means? It means I'm far from perfect, simply redeemed. I was bought with a purpose. Purchased by love. Not just a form of religion, it's a gift from above.

I am not perfect. I have been redeemed.

I'm just a believer. Do you know what that means? It means I've pledge my life, giving everything. I never knew that this was meant to be. I'm not perfect. I have been redeemed.

While I was yet in my transgressions, someone paid the price for me.I offered up my life to Him, and now I see again. I am not perfect. I have been redeemed.

I am your brother (sister). Let me show you the way. We'll walk this road together, we'll take it day by day. Somehow I know we'll make this journey's end.

We are now redeemed. While we were yet in our transgressions. God paid the price for you and me. So why not give our lives to Him? Accept His love and be clean.

Walk together. You can take my hand. For we are now redeemed.

Power to Pray

Last week, in observance of the National Day of Prayer, I attended the noon day prayer service at my church. On my drive to the church I felt something funny in my spirit. When I walked through the doors of the church something hit me...and hit me hard. I was overcome by the Spirit, and the power that prayer has.

I consider it a true privilege and honor to be able to pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I consider an even greater honor to know that when I pray, even when my prayers are reduced to mumblings and groanings, the Holy Spirit is interceding for me.

At that service, I was humbled when my Pastor looked at me and asked me to pray for single parents. I've struggled with identifying with this label, but it is true, I am single parent. As I approached God in prayer, I realized the power of the words I was placing in God's ear. Out of all the protections and blessings I prayed that day, there is one thing that I pray over and over again in my spirit, and that is for unsaved parents to be saved. For our children's sake.

My son is covered. I've dedicated his life back to God and I know that things that have plagued his father's family for generations are now broken, in Jesus' name. I pray that my son's unsaved parent experiences the freedom that comes in knowing Christ, in living for Christ and following his commands.

Love...is not rude.

((Deep breath)) I haven't written in my love is series in awhile. No particular reason, I just haven't made it a priority. It's funny how things happen. Life has been so grand. I mean ever since we returned from Baltimore in early April, things have just been flowing. I'm grateful.

When I opened the Word and realized tonight would be "love...is not rude", I laughed at myself. No wonder it hadn't been on my heart to write in this series lately. But tonight....oh tonight is a night to write about love not being rude.

So I've been pretty open about the issues in my personal life. I honestly feel it is apart of my ministry to be transparent - some disagree. Anyways. So tonight was a true test in love not being rude. First, it is Mother's day. All day long I have just been sending gratitude for the amazing gift of my son. I've probably given him a million kisses today. It's about 8pm, and for the first time all day I let the weight of this being my first Mother's day as a single parent hit me. My emotions were flying high and that opened the floodgates for the enemy to come in.

One event led to another, and for the first time in weeks I just wanted to pick up the phone and tell someone how I feel about them. Not what God says about them, but what at that moment, my hurt self wanted to say. I picked up the phone, was ready to go, all engines fired, and then I stopped. The force that stopped me wasn't saying that I love that person too much to call and say the words I wanted to say and try to hurt them. At that moment the force that stopped me said I love me more than that. It told me that I'm better than that. And it also reminded me that I MUST be the parent that expresses greater love through it all - I must be love.

So I'm typing this with tears rolling down my face because had I stuck to my original plan of writing in this series every night, weeks ago I wouldn't have really known what it means for love to not be rude. But tonight I do. I know that love won't allow you to be rude. The most profound part about it is it has nothing to do with the other person. Love will open you up and show you yourself. Rudeness is a way to hurt others. As we all know...hurting people hurt others. Let love show you what's in you that is hurting so you won't feel the need to hurt others. After all, love is not rude.