Tuesday, November 27, 2018

When Love Accepts

Is there any perfect person out there? Nah! Of course not! we all come with something and are constantly being molded into something better. The Lord is developing all of us and works with us right where we are. What a blessing it is to be accepted right where you are, how you are - flaws and all. When Love Shows Up, Love Accepts. 



Love doesn’t try to change you but rather pushes you to be your best self. Love admires your quirks and finds humor in your ratchetness (yeah you got some ratchet!). Love may not like everything you do or say but it accepts it and offers a kind, ‘bless your heart’ declaration and scurries on about the day. Love takes hold of your deepest flaws and secrets and handles them with extreme care and of course - love.  

Love’s acceptance causes you to feel secure, safe and empowered as if you can jump the largest hurdle in one leap!  When love accepts, you can be your true, authentic self, flowing in your best rhythm. 

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NCV) - Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.

To take a look at the first post in the series “When Love…” click below: 



Monday, November 19, 2018

Convenience Ain’t Free!

A few weekends ago I was blessed with a ticket to see the production ‘Jesus’ at Sight and Sound in Pennsylvania. What an awesome production it was and the set changes were amazing! After the play my group traveled over to the Shady Maple (I think that’s the name) buffet. The buffet choices were endless. At the grill station there was steak, salmon and blackened catfish. The catfish was outstanding! The line at the grill station was long because they were cooking everything on site. As I ventured over to the line to get me a piece of (ok another piece of) catfish, I started to turn around because the line was just too long and I did not want to wait! My cousin happened to be at the front of the line so I asked him to get my fish for me. Right in that moment I made eye contact with my Pastor and he looked like “no she’s not jumping this line”. I felt bad for a split second but not bad enough to recant my request for the catfish. But it did make me think further about how people do not like to wait for anything. Why?   


Waiting can be hard. We live in a microwave society where everything is produced right away. No one wants to wait for anything these days. You don’t wait for the customer service rep, you use self-service. You don’t wait in line, you order on your phone and pick up. You have a structured settlement? Can’t wait, you need your cash NOW! Everything is now, now and right now! We do not like to wait for anything because we love convenience but what I’ve discovered: convenience ain’t free! 

There is always a cost for convenience, sometimes the cost is small and sometimes it’s massive. The convenience fee you pay Cash App for dispensing your money instantly is small. The convenience fee you pay for settling for just “ok” versus “God’s best” for your life is massive!

So I hear you asking 'what convenience fee do you mean?' Well let me provide a short list:

When you put your desires above what God's Word says 
Fee = Life Becomes A Hot Mess (Filled with Disappointment)

When you settle for Mr. Right Now instead of waiting on God's best
Fee = Life Becomes A Hurt Mess (Filled with Heartbreak and Headache)

When you decide to do things the world's way instead of standing firm on God's Word 
Fee = A Whole Mess (Filled with Catastrophe and Confusion) 


Whoa! These fees are enormous and will eat up any life that you have left! In these instances, convenience isn't worth it! Don't settle, wait on God's best and always remember: convenience ain't free! 

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

What to Do While You Wait

Waiting is hard to do. We like things to be instant. For instance, we like instant oatmeal, instant deposits, and even instant coffee! We like ready-made, pre-cooked and instant meals. This pre-occupation with ‘instant’ carries over into the area of relationships - and this can be dangerous. In relationships and dating the 'instant craving' causes anxiety which in turn causes us to get antsy during the wait. I completely understand this feeling as a seasoned single. I know how anxiety can sit in as the wait prolongs, sits and festers. So how do we calm down? What do we do while we wait? 

Let’s take our cue from the exceptional waiter in an exceptional restaurant. I’m talking about the best waiter you ever encountered, the one that made you tip extra at the end of the meal! Here are three things waiters do that we can apply during our season of waiting: 



1. Waiters Serve - Just like waiters serve the people at the table so should we serve Christ by serving God’s people. Participate in your church through various ministries, serve in your community through shelters or soup kitchens, and serve people in your life, making a positive impact in the lives of those you come in contact with. As a single you should always strive to see how you can serve others & how you can make things better. Concentrate on serving God and others and see how your life changes. Additionally, for those seeking God for a mate, what better way for your future mate to see you than serving God! Boaz saw Ruth when she was in the field working! 

2. Waiters Smile - I can’t express to you the difference a smile makes when you see someone or are greeted by them. The amount of single women I see walking around with frowns is so disconcerting to me. Waiters in a restaurant smile because it makes people feel welcome and literally shifts the atmosphere to a more positive one. As a single woman, strive to be a woman who shifts the atmosphere into one that is life-giving. If you are hurting on the inside and can’t muster up a smile, pray and God will heal you so that you can be an atmosphere shifter! 

3. Waiters Survey - An exceptional waiter surveys the table so that they can anticipate requests from the customers. During your waiting season, survey, scan and study those you help, so that you can anticipate their needs and exceed them. This goes back to making things better for those around you and shifting the atmosphere when you enter the scene. 

Why should you focus on serving, making things better, shifting the atmosphere and surveying those you serve? This is all great preparation for a spouse! You should always strive to make things better and create loving, positive and life-giving environments that people will want to be in and thrive in. 

The waiting season doesn't have to be one of angst, it should be a time that is fulfilling as you are constantly creating and living your best life! 

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Be Clear!

I know you all have written out that infamous list! You know, the man list!! Lord, I want him to be tall, dark, handsome and a host of other stuff that people come up with. Let me pause here and say that I’m not actually a fan of the list as I believe it closes you off to other possibilities that you may not realize you need however, if you must have a list please add this one to it: Clear! Clear what? Skin? Speech? No ladies - Clear Direction!! 



He needs to be clear on his purpose, passion and path in order to have the capacity to love and care for you properly. He must be clear on his purpose, that thing that God designed him to do. When asked the age-old question, “Why am I here?”, a man clear on his purpose will be able to articulate a clear answer. Keep in mind that purpose evolves over time and that’s okay. The important thing here is that he be in tune with the Holy Spirit and open to new directions that God may be leading him into. So I suppose that means a purpose-filled man is one who prays!

Not only must he be clear on his purpose but he also must be clear about his passions - those things that fuel his spirit. Adding ‘clear’ to your list will help you pray for a man who is clear on his likes and dislikes but open to learning and discovering new things. 

Lastly, his path should be clear to him. This is not to say there won’t be some detours or U-turns but the path should be clear. He should be led by the Holy Spirit to ensure he reaches his destination. 

The reality is that clarity is a precious jewel that doesn’t come cheap. To be ‘clear’ is costly as it requires you to be focused and perhaps forgo some comfort and convenience. There is a price to pay for clarity but the benefits are more than worth it! 


So Girrrl, I encourage you today to not only add this to your ‘Man List’ but make sure clarity is front & center on your own personal growth list! You must be or at least be working on what it is you are requiring of others. Ladies, be clear on your purpose, your passions, and your path! It is here while you are traveling down your passion-filled, path of purpose that you’ll collide with your “him” and his purpose - and this is what I call The Beautiful Collision! 

Thursday, August 23, 2018

There is Life After This and That

So I’ve been participating in this ‘Pray for Your Future Spouse” challenge online. This is not something new to me as I’ve been doing this for some years now but I do believe there is power in numbers! What a beautiful thing that there are over 60,000 people participating in this challenge and prayers are going up each morning!! The challenge is sponsored by a Pastor and his wife out of Chicago (Pastor Jamal & Natasha) and they have been bringing on different people each evening for the daily teaching. Last evening a Pastor & Wife team out of Atlanta led the teaching on ‘purpose’ and how this must be established before entering marriage. At some point during this teaching, Pastor Pittman said, “God don’t waste hurts!” It was at that moment that the Lord spoke to me and told me ‘there is life after “this” and “that”!



Girrrl, I don’t know what your ‘this’ or ‘that’ is but know that it didn’t come to destroy you but rather God is using it as a catalyst for ministry! We’ve all cried to God at some point and asked Him ‘why me’, ‘why this’ and ‘why that’! But God is saying to you that your breaking will cause you to be a blessing to someone else. It’s okay to say to someone who’s going through something, “it’s going to be okay, God will bring you through” but it’s way more effective to be able to say, “it’s going to be okay, God will bring you through because He did the exact same thing for me when I was in this same predicament”! It’s power in your testimony and what I know for sure is that you can’t have a testimony without a test! 

I want to encourage you today and remind you that there is life after ‘this’ and ‘that’! Your ‘this’ may be disappointments, heartbreaks, depression, regrets, mistakes, poor choices, wrong decisions, family hurt, or even church hurt. Your ‘that’ may be substance abuse, alcoholism, financial setbacks, poor credit, promiscuity, disease, addiction (sex, shopping, gambling, food, etc.), divorce, molestation, and the list goes on. I declare this day that there is life after ‘this’ and ‘that’!


The key is to put it in God’s Hands and let Him take all of your ‘this’ and your ‘that’ and make something beautiful out of it! Your ‘this’ and ‘that’ does not define you, it’s not who you are but rather experiences that were instrumental in shaping the woman that God has called you to be! So you don’t have to walk with your head down because it was all on purpose and for PURPOSE! Even with your mistakes, setbacks, and failures, you can have a beautiful life that God uses for His glory!  


Remember: 
You are victorious! You are an overcomer! You are purpose-filled!

Be Encouraged. Be Inspired.

If you're interested in joining the FaceBook Group mentioned the link is below: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mysavedandsingle/ 

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

When Love Shows Up

Some 'single girl’ cliches have come to fruition in my life recently, ones that I would clinch my pearls when I actually let them come out of my mouth or roll from my fingertips onto my laptop. You know those ones that singles cringe when they hear them because it sounds so condescending and quite frankly, annoying. Ok so where should my top 5 list start: 
  1. He’ll come along when you least expect it
  2. He’s probably staring you in your face and you just don’t know it yet
  3. God is just waiting to give you someone really special
  4. Singleness is a gift (I say this one and I know it’s true but still super annoying!)
  5. God will bring him at the right time

Although these cliches are incredibly annoying, I can see them manifesting in my life! God definitely seems to be moving when I least expected it! As is the focus of this blog, empowering Christian women to be their absolute best, I’ve been working on creating the best version of myself. The thing is, I’m not there yet. I’m not at the place where I’d thought I’d be when love would show up. You know we all have that vision of being fully together when love shows up: mind, body, finances, business, and the list goes on. We all want to bring our best to the table, not our mess to the table. The one cliche I didn’t include above is that God is indeed the author of our love story and it is He who holds the pen. I’m amazed and baffled at the way He is crafting my current chapter. Case in point: 
  1. I was not expecting love
  2. It has been staring me in my face for a while
  3. I discern the special wow factor
  4. Singleness is indeed a gift but one that I’m okay exchanging 
  5. This is the one I struggle with: the right time
The timing seems all wrong by my account but then I hear the spirit of the Lord remind me that He is the author of time and that He transcends time. His timing is not ours - trust me, I sent him my plans some time ago and I do believe he LOL’d me and said Girrrl Stop! I gave him my plans and He overrode them. The ‘breaking’ I have been experiencing was once cloudy to me but the Lord is revealing the ‘why’ and making it clearer each day. I never wanted to be in a vulnerable state when love showed up but that seems to be what God had planned for me. Maybe it’s at this place of vulnerability that the Lord will be able to effectively use me - flaws and all. 

Hello Love, I’m elated you’re here! 


   

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Who's The Boss?

In the midst of my inspirational training, I heard the presenter say, “You are the boss of your feelings, not the other way around”. Whet what? You mean to tell me all this time I was actually the one in charge? I could control my own feelings and not let them control me? Why yes! You are the boss of how you feel but then that leads to the question, what is the root cause of your feelings? One word: ingestion. 



By its most common definition ingestion is the process of taking food, drink, or another substance into the body by swallowing or absorbing it. It could also mean the process of absorbing information. What I’m suggesting here is that your feelings are usually directly tied to what you are ingesting or taking in. 

Anybody have a friend, co-worker or even family member that literally zaps the life out of you with their negativity? As soon as you see them, they begin to be negative, complain, gossip, or whatever else and the next thing you know, you’re feeling down or tired with no explanation why! You just ate some grade-A, certified negativity and now it is in your system working its way out through how you feel. 

The same way you would get the bubble guts if you drank some spoiled milk is the same way your spirit will be affected if you ate or drank some spoiled vibes. God instructs us to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8). To be in full control of your feelings starts first with what you are taking in! When you’re feeling down, take in God’s Word and let it saturate your spirit! Also ingest some positive thoughts, videos, readings, conversations with positive friends, etc. Do what you need to do to switch things around. I mentioned I was taking inspirational training because I was feeling uninspired. So I took in or ingested some material that would get me inspired, hence this post! 

So to all my real ‘boss chicks’ out there - watch what you ingest, it will be the difference between your spirit being bubbly or bubbling out of control! 

Remember: 
You are brave! You are beautiful! You are blissful!


Be Encouraged. Be Inspired.

Monday, July 2, 2018

Girrrl Court Yourself!

July Theme: Wed Yourself
"The Courtship"

I love courtship and the whole process of making a commitment to someone and taking the time necessary to truly get to know them. Courtship is loosely defined as a period during which a couple develops a romantic relationship, especially with a view toward marriage. One of the main differences between dating and courtship is dating tries to answer the question, How can I find the one who will make me happy? Courtship strives to answer the question, How can I honor God and discern His direction regarding my life partner?

So how does this all correlate to you? How can you court yourself? By answering the question above: How can I honor God and discern His direction regarding my life? (minus one word). Girrrl court yourself!



Here are three ways you can begin to court yourself:

1. Ask yourself from tough questions - Courtship involves asking some tough, reflective questions. Are you settled on your life purpose? If so, are you on track with your purpose? Are you happy? If not, what can you do to change your outlook? When we ask ourselves these questions we begin to peel back new layers of ourselves that lead to new and fun discoveries! 

2. Get Accountable! - Part of the courtship process is accountability. This is one of the other major differences between courtship and dating - accountability. First off hold yourself accountable for your small steps of progress in this courtship. Truly commit to seeking God for the next steps of your life. Then pray about an accountability partner, someone who will encourage you, correct you and help you get back on track with your goals. Someone who will offer a kind word as the Holy Spirit leads. 

3. Fall in love with you again! - What do you do when you’re in love (not the dumb stuff we do but the nice, cutesy stuff)? You smile at him. You write him nice notes with smiley faces. You get excited when you know you’re going to spend time with him. You know, that type of stuff! Well, when you wake up each day, look yourself in the mirror and smile :)!!! Write yourself nice notes and post them around your space (think Being Mary Jane) as a way to encourage yourself as you are beginning this courtship journey! 

4. Believe you’re worthy!! - Walk into your courtship with yourself knowing that you are worthy of it! You are worth the work! Regardless of past mistakes, failures, night seasons, etc. you are still worthy and worth it! 


As we “Wed Ourselves” this July let’s begin with the Courtship and really get to know ourselves on a deeper level. Let’s peel back some new layers and discover some new, interesting and fun things about ourselves. 

Remember: 
You are amazing! You are awesome! You are aligned! 

Be Encouraged. Be Inspired. 

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Release Dat!

Well it’s the last day of May and the last of our series: It’s Renewal Season! If you’re going to be renewed this season you’ve got to learn how to release some stuff so that God can revive, refresh, and restore your spirit! 


Photo Cred: Nigel Morgan

Sometimes we walk around with stuff that God didn’t intend for us to carry. We keep things bottled in that if someone just taps us we might explode. So my word to end this series is simple today: Girrrl Release Dat! 

-So what you’ve made some mistakes in your past - God has forgiven you and moved on and now it’s time for you to ‘Release Dat’! 

-You keep making excuses about what you can’t do based on some lie you tell yourself: 
Ex: I can’t start this business because I’m not business savvy, I wouldn’t know where to begin

LIES! - You are indeed business savvy, you don’t make it 20+, 25+,35+, 40+ years in life not knowing anything. ‘Release Dat’!  

-You’re still hurt by that family member or friend who wronged you. Your anger keeps you up at night and is literally causing you physical distress. Girrrl pray to God to remove it and then ‘Release Dat’!!

Whatever you are holding on to, whatever belief is holding you back, whatever hurt you are holding on to that you refuse to let go, whatever habit you are holding on to that is stunting your growth, it’s time to ‘Release Dat’! 

By now you’ve noticed that every time I write ‘Release Dat’ I bold it. That way when you skim this post and the main point will saturate your spirit! 

Give the ‘dat’ over to God. Let Him remove it and do away with it for you. There’s an old hymn (do churches still sing hymns?) we used to sing called ‘I Surrender All’: 

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

Chorus: 
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior 
I surrender all

Girrrl do the work that you have to do and ‘Release Dat’! God wants you to be free, refreshed, restored and ready to live your life!  

Remember: 
You are worthy! You are exuberant! You are a unlimited! 


Renew. Refresh. Slay! 

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Prepaid: An Inspirational Moment

**REPOST - I ran across this older post I wrote some time ago but it did indeed bless me today - I hope it blesses you too**

My younger cousin has a Boost Mobile cell phone. This company has built its brand on being a prepaid cell service provider. This means you prepay for your minutes each month and when the next month comes, if you don’t pay, it is okay you just won’t have any minutes to use. No contracts, no hassle I suppose but the best part is you never owe a bill. I’m sure Boost does not have a collections department because everything is prepaid!



When I think of this concept my mind begins to wander to Christ and how he prepaid the price for our sinful natures. There’s a popular Christian cliché that simply says “Jesus Paid it All”. The word ‘paid’ is a verb; it is the past participle of the word ‘pay’ which denotes that ‘paid’ is an action that has already taken place. Just as my cousin pays her Boost Mobile bill so she’ll have minutes to use, Jesus Paid It All way back on Calvary so that you and I might have ‘Minutes in Victory’,  ‘Minutes in Peace’, and ‘Minutes in Blessings’! 

He did all of this in advance!


When I think of God doing this in advance for us, my mind, body and soul begins to rejoice because I’m ‘paid in full’!!!

Monday, May 21, 2018

God of the Turn Around!!

Girrrl stop worrying and let your mind and spirit be renewed knowing this: God is the God of the turn around! (I’ll pause….while you shout!)


God specializes in turning things around! Trust me, I’m not telling what I heard but what I know! He has a special knack for putting His hands on the situation and making it work out for your good - oh yeah, He said that in His Word - “And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). God can turn around your self-esteem, your depression, your finances, your motives, your heart and even the heart of others - He will make your enemy your footstool! There’s no limit to the depths God will go for His children so Girrrl - stop worrying! 

Worrying does not fuel your spirit rather, it completely deflates it. It gets you no where but headed to your freezer to kill a half of gallon of Breyers cookies and cream ice cream (so I’ve heard….) and now you holding together your summer capris with a safety pin - Girrrl Stop! 

Read Matthew 6:25-34 and make a vowel today to stop worrying - God is the God of the turn around, He will take care of you! Seek God and trust in His provision, He will turn it around!! 

You are worthy! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! 
You are greatness unleashed! 


Renew. Refresh. Slay! 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Girrrl Celebrate It!

Hey Girrrl Stop Nation! I know y'all out there making goals and stuff (#goaldiggers) but as we are focusing on renewal in the month of May I want to encourage you to celebrate the small wins! 



Every large goal requires smaller goals in order to reach them. You know you could say, “Lord, my goal is to not cuss folks out anymore” and then lo and behold Sister Lulabell at the church bring some craziness to you and you get to cussin’! But this time you only went ham for 30 seconds as opposed to your normal 15 minutes!! Well celebrate that - it’s an accomplishment! 

I’m a new believer in celebrating small wins because it gives that dose of encouragement you need to stay in the race and keep going! For every small win you know you’re that much closer to the main goal!  

-You may not have reached your 25 pound weight loss goal yet but you’re going to the gym 3-4 times a week on a regular basis - celebrate it! 

-You may not have paid off that credit card yet but you are now sticking to a budget for the first time in your life - celebrate it! 

-You may not have fully mastered not going nuts on your teenager for their smart aleck mouth but this week you mastered the 
‘you-got-3-seconds-to-get-out-of-my-sight’ look and poof! They disappeared into another room or another galaxy but who cares, you got some peace! - celebrate it! 



Celebrating those small wins will renew and fuel your spirit, causing you to feel absolutely amazing about yourself and keep you going even through tough situations!  

2 Chronicles 15:7 (NLT) - But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded

(MSG) - But it’s different for you: Be strong. Take heart. Payday is coming!

Remember: 
You are incredible! You are awesome! You are a winner! 


Renew. Refresh. Slay! 

Monday, May 7, 2018

Just Say No!

Girrrl it’s springtime which means a time to get renewed, refreshed and rejuvenated! Here in the northeast I think Summer may have kidnapped Spring (cuz it’s hot and I’m having to run my air already!) but nevertheless it’s that time of year to focus on you and renew your spirit! In the month of May I’ll be giving you some suggestions for renewal that will surely jumpstart you into a refreshing! If you’re already doing the suggested things then pass it on to another sister in Christ - don’t be stingy!! 

Saying yes to things that don’t fuel your spirit is a sure-fire way to be perpetually drained! Saying yes to things you do not want to do will leave you depleted. You know you didn’t want to chair that program but you said yes anyway! Girrrl you know, you didn’t feel like going to dinner for the 3rd night this week but you went anyway (and then you side-eyeing folks all the way through dessert!) This is not how God wants us to be: drained and depleted - I mean even He rested! 

When they ask you to go out to that event on Friday evening after you dun worked all week: "Girrrl, now you know I ain’t going!"

If you want to truly get renewed this renewal season you gotta learn to say NO to the things that don’t fuel your spirit! Just say NO!!! Your friends will be okay, your children will live and your church will still be standing after your ‘refreshing’! Mark 2:22 says, And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Due to the process of fermentation, the old wineskins (bottles) don’t have the strength to hold the new wine causing a two-fold loss: the bottle and the wine (did somebody say: Moscato please!). 

When we run, run and run some more we become worn out and torn down. In that state we aren't of any use to anyone including ourselves. You have to learn to say NO to some stuff so that you are not in this constant state of “ran-downess” (yeah I made it up). Girrrl, if you start hearing the comment, “Ooh you look tired” (try to refrain from charging at this person and choking them with your freshly manicured hands!) then that may be an indicator that it’s renewal time! God is trying to do a new thing in you in a new season but he can’t put fresh wine in an old bottle (did somebody say: Red please!). Take the time to be renewed so that you are strong enough to continue your journey! 

Say NO to some stuff so you don’t become run down and you can leave room for the things that truly fuel your spirit! 

You are beautiful! You are unique! You are success embodied! 


Renew. Refresh. Slay!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Catch A Case!

Hey Girrrl Stop Nation!! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted but hey that’s life! I hope all has been well and that you're taking time to enjoy the journey! A journey, something we're all on but we're all at different phases. Some may be in the ‘Harvest’ phase of the journey, that place where you are reaping those good seeds sown! Some others may be in the ’Spanx’ phase of the journey, that place where you're being squeezed, stretched, and constricted beyond what you would prefer! Some of us are in what I refer to as the ‘Metamorphosis’ phase, the place where you're in a state of becoming something totally new, better and beautiful. It's in this phase that we enter into what is known as "Protection Season"! Protection from what? Hurt? Heartbreak? Emotional damage? Toxic behavior? Poor treatment from others and ourselves? Well, yes you should do your best to protect yourself from all of these things because all of these things can have an impact on what you need to protect most: who you are becoming! 

Metamorphosis is a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means. Of course the caterpillar comes to mind here, as it goes through its stages to full adulthood. While the caterpillar is going through the process he becomes encased inside of clear protective case/covering (chrysalis) because although he hasn't reached the stage of being a butterfly yet, he's on the way and he has to protect what he's becoming! 



Girrrl it's time for you to catch a case! I'm talking to those in the metamorphosis stage of their life journey, to those going through a change (not to be confused with ‘the change’ - chuckle). This is the time to be focused on your personal development and be "future-ready"; protect what you're becoming. The "case" is a place of isolation, simplicity, solitude - catch it! This protects you during the process, sometimes you have to spend time with yourself and God, separating yourself from things that do not positively feed your spirit while God is working. 

Here's a few productive things to do while in the ‘CASE’:

  1. Pray - Pray during this time for direction from God on where He wants you to go and what He wants you to do. Pray for strength to endure this phase and rest in God’s care. Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”, there is truly safety and protection in abiding in the presence of God. 
  2. Meditate - Meditate on God’s Word and let it saturate your spirit. Listen to what the Lord has to say to you through His Word. Set aside some quiet time each day to spend time with God so that you can hear what He has to say to you. Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”. 
  3. Develop - Read, read and read some more! This is your time to work on your personal development. Learn new information, work on your problem areas, and simply become better! Spend time doing things that feed you, things that you enjoy and don’t apologize for it! Hosea 4:6a says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” so take this time, in the ‘case’, to learn all you can and perfect your craft because this is all preparation for what’s ahead.  
  4. Serve - What do waiters do? They serve. While you’re in the ‘case’, in waiting, in transition, in metamorphosis, never stop serving. Whether it’s at your local church, in your community, or with those around you, always strive to serve others. In the case of the caterpillar, when he’s in the case, he’s immobile but that is certainly not the case with us! During this phase, although inward work is being done, the reality is you still must interact with others and what better way to do that than to serve! Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. 



Don’t be upset if you caught a ‘case’! That just means God is transforming you into something new, better and beautiful! It is up to you to take the necessary steps to protect who you are becoming! 

Do the Work in 2024!

Happy New Year Girrrl!  I pray that the first 3 days in 2024 have been fruitful!  As women, God has called you to do the work in 2024. It...