My Birth Right

Good morning family. Up and moving this morning. Slept pretty good. Very proud of my sister Meshun. She beat me running this morning. That goes to show that when you committ to something, you'll get good results. That five miles was a "beast" for me, no coffee, no vitamins and I'd only been up 45 minutes (yes I"m making excuses). This past Friday someone came to my desk and reminded me about the story of Esau and Jacob. As I read the story again, I realized that being a "sell out" isn't new. Unguided humans fail to see the true meaning of patiences. We are so focused on "the right now" that we can't see what God has for us down the road. We sign contracts for cars, homes, marriages and other relationships that we aren't ready for, not realizing that if we had only waited things would be so much better. My grandson asked me about "credit" and I explained that it something most people don't value or appreciate until it's to late. That's basically what happened with Esau, he ruined his credit because he couldn't wait and didn't realize the importance of his "birthright". This morning I pray for you as I pray for myself, Lord don't let me be a "sell out" anymore. Help me understand my role in this life. I no longer want to be a servant to my "wants", piling up debt and emotional baggage. Allow us to move forward, leaving behind everything that's kept me/us from being Your good and faithful servant. It doesn't matter what car I drive, what house I live in or what my earthly title is, I just want to be in Your favor. Thank You for giving us another day, another opportunity to live right. Thank You for letting us sober up from whatever our choice of intoxication was. Let us be free from any form of over indulgence. God help us become the people who live and look through spiritual eyes. Gives us clean hearts along with a "brand new" start. AMEN. TeamRestoringMyBirthRight. Bblessedloveyou.

Young People Listen

GM family. Hanging out with Lil Chris this morning. He's a busy body. Thanking God for family, friends, life, grace and mercy. The good news about the word of God is that we can depend on what is written. When the money, fame and status fails us, steals our joy and confidence He's there to pick us up. I'm praying for our young adults this morning, praying that they receive an understanding of what prosperity really means, an understanding of what true leadership looks like. I pray that they avoid thriving on the false confidence money and status offer. I pray they recognize and use their God given talents for His glory, understanding what God gives can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I pray that we all avoid judging those who fall from grace. Let us send up prayers on their behalf. Remembering that it could have been one of us in the hot seat, it could be one of us people are mourning. This life, this day is a gift. We don't deserve it, didn't do anything to earn it. God has so graciously given us a little more time to ask for forgiveness, to change who we are and to use what He's blessed us with for His glory. There is nothing like being in His presence, there's nothing like the feeling you have when you honor Him by doing the right thing. Mercy. Wake up family. Amen. 1 Kings 21 vs 1-28, Acts 12 vs 9-12.

Men

Good morning family. My last day of vacation, this has been good. Vacation gives us the opportunity to think about our lives and our next steps. I love being home on the porch just watching cars go by, watching the kids run around in the yard, just observing. I hope everyone takes a little time just to "sit" still. I want to send a special prayer up for the men in our lives this morning. Asking God to continue working in their lives and also asking God to give me a better understanding of how I can encourage all of them. I thank Him for blessing my family and yours with strong men. I ask Him to forgive me for standing in judgement of them when I don't like the choices they make. I thank Him for their growth and change even if it's slow in coming. Lord I really thank You for making them attentive to the needs of "our" children. I am encouraged this morning because I know that You are an Ever Present Force in their lives. God thank you for showing me that believing in Your word brings change and I can't force it, I just have to wait. Thank You for increasing faith and wisdom. Lord, lastly I ask that You continue a "good" work in the lives of all the men I come in contact with, I am so thankful for their leadership. Your word brings life, renews life and restores life. AMEN. TeamRestoring. Bblessedloveyou. Acts 10 vs 24-27, Acts 10 34-35, 1st Kings 17 vs 13-24, Proverbs 17 vs 9-11

Judgement

Good morning family...Glad to see another Sunday. I hope everyone is doing something productive and helpful today. The past week or so has been really busy for me. I took advantage of one "lazy day" while I was off but the other days have been full. So thankful for the blessing of vacation. The news has been crazy as usual, makes everyone think about their situations and put on that "I wouldn't do that attitude." I speak for myself when I say, never say what you wouldn't do. It's only by the grace of God that I haven't experienced "more tragedy" in my life based on how I lived. Do you ever stop and think about how many prayers were going up for you when you weren't saved or mature enough to understand that you were literally killing yourself? When I see terrible news stories I first thank God that it wasn't someone I knew/know and then I pray for all those involved. The news provides proof that it doesn't matter what walk of life you come from, you are not immuned from bad/tragic things. You can be rich and not have common sense/decency, you can be poor and the desire to have more will lead you to let your guard down, you can be blessed with success and the words you use can make it all disappear in the blink of an eye. There's not one person on earth who walks in perfection, we are all human and subject to bad judgement and mistakes. I pray for you as I pray for myself, Lord let me do and say the right things, guide my thoughts and deeds, take away that need to be right, continue providing all that I need, I ask You Lord to let those around me be satisfied with what You provide, asking that You also open our eyes to the fact that it's not who we are, what we have or where we live when it comes to success, it's all about You and how we honor and serve, in Jesus Name, AMEN. Proverbs 17 vs 4-5, Psalm 131 vs 1-3, Psalm 130 vs 1-8

Move Around

Good Morning Family....Fell asleep with my mind wondering all over the place but also realizing/understanding that God is still in control. Isn't it funny that when things feel like they're going well someone rushes in and attempts to turn life upside down. There was a time when those "upside down" moments would send me into a panic but I refuse to let anything/anyone disrupt what God is doing in my life. "Jesus is real, I know the Lord is real to me", the song I heard in my dream this morning. What a wonderful reminder of His blessings. The devil loves to see families/friends out of sync. He'll come at you with an iron fist but we have to be steadfast and unmovable, standing on God's word. We have to also change those things in our lives that keep presenting us with the same outcome. It's crazy how some people's lives are on repeat, like someone/something is holding them down and won't let them move forward. I want to remind you as I remind myself, move around, get off your soap box, let go of those sinful things that you think you need to make it through life. God laid it out for us. He promised that if we honored Him and lived by His word that our needs would be met. Stop following "the money", the shiny cars, the jewelery, the big houses and start living. The world sends us reminders every day that it's full of liars and cheaters. It doesn't matter how much you are given, if you don't have God, living will be pointless. TeamMoveAround. Bblessedloveyou. Psalms 128 vs 1-6, Proverbs 16 vs 31-33, 1st Kings 8 vs 30-40

No Feat

Good Morning Family...Still on vacation, sorta....Missing my Pru family but enjoying the break. Feeling thankful this morning for all that God has provided. Asking God to continue blessing each of us as we move through our day. His word is so awesome, there is not one subject about life that He hasn't or doesn't address. I had to remind myself this morning that "fear" of anything is a choice. When we go to God and ask for the wisdom to live our lives, fear is placed on the back burner. It's impossible to live better if we don't have a true understanding of the driving forces behind what we do. We can pretend we have it all together, let the world think we're strong but if we avoid studying His word and seeking knowledge, we fail, we fear and we find fault. This morning I pray for you as I pray for myself, Lord show me where I'm wrong, give me sight beyond what I see so that I can move forward. Grant me peace and understanding, help me see past my fears. Lord give me courage enough to learn more about me, more about my family and those who directly and indirectly affect the affairs of my life. Forgive me for any wrong I've done and thank You for giving me another day. Lord, I thank You for showering me/us with blessings. Without You we would be lost. For those who find themselves wondering what's next, ask God? Stop waiting for the world to validate who God says you are. All our answers are covered in His word. It's only when we run from what we're called to do that we find ourselves confused and disillusioned. Thank You Lord for always being my/our guide through "foolishness". AMEN. TeamNoFear. Bblessedloveyou. 1st Kings 3 vs 9-14, Acts 6 8-15, Psalms 126 vs 1-6, Acts 7 vs 9-10, 22

Reunion

Good Morning family. I pray everyone has a productive day. I'm up and ready to move around this morning. Asking God for His continued favor over my life and the lives of my family. I thank Him for my family. I pray that we all embrace and love each other no matter what the circumstance. I pray for you as I pray for myself, Lord please forgive for my selfish and judgmental ways. Let me be an example to others, loving unconditionally and expecting nothing but love in return. Lord, as we finish out this "family reunion" weekend please watch over and keep us safe. Grant us patients during our interactions, helping us remember that we are not perfect, non higher than the other. Let us serve and not expect to be served, offering thanks and praise just for the privilege to see another day and to be in your presence. We can never do enough to repay You for all the love You've shown us. I love my family and I thank You Lord for allowing us to gather again. AMEN. TeamReunion. Bblessedloveyou.

Thankful For Fathers

Good morning family. Thanking God for another blessed day. My Grannie had a nice time, she enjoyed seeing all the "orange reunion shirts" running around the park. God is so good. Wishing all the "fathers" in our family and yours a happy Father's Day and reminding you that you are the head of our households. Please stop giving away your positions. I'm so thankful for my husband. He has been a blessing to me since the sixth grade. He loves me even in my "selfish and foolish" moments. Asking God this morning for His continued blessings over our union, for keeping our family together and for bringing us through the good and bad times. I ask the same for you and yours. Also thanking God for my sons, cousins and nephews. Asking Him to give them strength, knowledge and "the do right attitude" they need to raise our next generation. Be at peace on this beautiful Sunday morning understanding that this day is another opportunity to serve and honor others. TeamThankfulForFathers. Bblessedloveyou. 1st Timothy 2 vs 8-15. 1st Timothy 6 vs 17-21

Family Growth

Good Morning Family. What a weekend. Thank you so much to the event planners, you guys did a wonderful job. This was one of the best reunions I've attended. Let me put this on everyone's heart, if/when there's an opportunity to visit with family and friends, don't miss it. Reunions give us a chance to learn about our family history, to see our family history and to heal. We come together to celebrate what was, what is and what's going to be. I speak for myself and probably some of you when I say there's a lot of emotional baggage that I carry around because of the past. Attending family events helps me move forward. Hearing and seeing my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins always makes me feel better about who I am. Don't get me wrong, I love the person God made me, but I recognize my flaws. It's time out for playing the blame game, it's time out for standing in the background complaining, it's time to build our families up, make them stronger than ever. We need more high school graduates, more college graduates, more responsible parents and most of all we need the word of God to be our focus and reason for doing anything. This morning I pray for the men in our families for they are the leaders. I ask God to give them the courage and vision to move our families forward. Lead with honor, patience and kindness. I also pray for all the women. I pray we stand behind/beside the men in our familes. Offering encouraging and uplifting words. We cannot move forward if we don't work together. Lastly, I say thank You Lord for Your mercy and grace, for the favor You've shown our families. You have shown Your love for us in wonderful ways, especially in the blessing of allowing us to gather once again to celebrate family. "I am so satisfied with my Savior"....TeamFamilyGrowth...Bblessedloveyou

Nothing But The Truth

Good Morning family. Today and every day I give thanks and praise to God for placing people in my life who aren't afraid to tell me the truth about "me". Ya'll know the truth isn't always pretty and isn't always easy to tell so when God sends the "truth" your way, listen. Don't get mad or offended because it's not what you wanted to hear. That "truth" could be the key that opens the door to a better you. I can honestly say that I'm still working on being open with people because I don't like conflict and chaos. I'm also working on getting better at accepting corrective criticism, especially from my husband, Lord give me strength. What I know for certain is that no one can get better on their own. Learn to have constructive conversations, learn to listen, stop wearing your feelings on your sleeves and lastly, say things out of love and respect for God and others. TeamNothingButTheTruth.Bblessedloveyou. Proverbs 16 vs 19-20, Acts 2 vs 36-42

Love My Fam

Good Morning Family...I am excited about our up coming trip. Looking forward to seeing my Texas family. As i began my morning I kept hearing these words, "In spite of everything I've been through, still gotta say thank You"....I don't know about you but I have been wonderfully blessed, even on my worse days, I can look back and say thank You Lord for all you've done. Sometimes we get so caught up in the things of this world that we allow our moods to "swing" back and forth, we say and do things that don't make sense, we withhold smiles from the ones we love, we criticize and be-little those who aren't doing what we think they should be doing. I owe my family an apology because I forget just how important they are to me when my "mood swings" hit me. I focus to much on what they say and do as opposed to who they are. God knows that I'm so thankful for them. I can live without the things of this world but it would break my heart if I thought they didn't love me or if they thought I didn't love them. So today I say to my family/extended family, I love you and appreciate you. I always remind myself that Jesus paid the ultimate price for us so how can I be so trifling and unappreciative of what God has given me. I ask Him this morning to forgive me and continue to bless me, I ask the same for you. I pray that we all see the beauty in people and not things. Don't get caught up in what the world says we should have because the world loves chaos and confusion. This world is afraid of truthful living. It's nothing new....TeamLovingMyFamily....Bblessedloveyou....Psalm 119 vs 105-112..Proverbs 16 vs 8-9

Loving My Girls

Good Morning Family....Be safe out in this weather today....Anyone who knows me, knows that I love music, especially songs with good/great messages. Most people say they don't listen to the words, they only hear the beat but I say if you listen to anything over and over again, the lyrics will seep into your spirit. I woke up this morning with the words of Yolanda Adams' song playing in my head, "It's crazy right now, but that's when you shine, I can keep smiling knowing it's gone be nice." The women in my life tend to take on a lot of responsibility, some are single mothers with no support, some are married and pouring all they have into their relationship, some are living paycheck to paycheck not knowing how they'll make ends meet, some work full time while trying to manage their homes efficiently, some dream of marrying the right man, some are walking in faith and honoring God, some are lost with little or no direction/support from their family and there are those who are struggling with pain/addiction/lack of self confidence. To all the women in my life, I encourage you to keep living but give God your burdens, your wants, your desires, let Him be the keeper of all things. Get the rest you need when you need it, stop cussing/fussing about the same "ole" things, accept where you are so you get to where God is taking you...Most of all know that God loves you and so do I. (I love all the men in my life as well but it was on my heart this morning to reach out to my "girls"). John 14 vs 23-31. Psalm 119 vs 33-48. Proverbs 15 vs 33

Under Control

Good Morning Family. What a beautiful day. These birds are singing up a storm. Thanking God for a productive week, peace and rest. I read the story about Jessie Jackson Jr and his wife. As I read it I thought to myself, Lord thank You for keeping me honest and for allowing me to control my wants. I never want to be in a place/mindset that makes me think it's okay to steal from and cheat those who trust me (or anyone else for that matter). When we put greed above love and respect our moral compass sinks. We loose direction and somehow feel justified. It reminds me of how David pursued Bathsheba. He slept with her knowing she belonged to another and then tried to cover up his sin. There's not one perfect person among us but if we search our hearts and understand our purpose we can avoid being a "Jessie" or a "David". The world is full of temptation and dishonesty. Most people indulge as a means of survival but what good is "just surviving" when there is no peace? When there's only death/destruction of lives. I choose to live a better life by serving and only receiving what is rightfully mine. I pray for you as I pray for myself, Father God please keep me in my right mind and in the right place. Thank You Father for giving me what I need so that I will not want or desire the madness of this world. Thank You for protecting me and mine. In Jesus Holy Name, AMEN. TeamUnderControl. Bblessedloveyou. 2Samuel 11 vs 1-27. John 15 vs 1-17. Proverbs 16 vs 1-3

My Father Says So

Good Morning Family. Thankful for rest and peace. I woke up this morning thinking about God and how He allows us to come back home after we've chosen our own way. It reminds me of my granddaughter, Amia. She's an emotional child, will cry at the drop of a hat but she's very intelligent. She pays attention to details and listens to her father. Whenever anyone tells her to do something that goes against what her dad told her to do, she gets all worked up, tears start flowing. She starts her sentence with, "but my dad said." Wouldn't it be a wonderful if as Christians we cried out every time someone tried to get us to go against our Heavenly Father's word? Our burdens would be lighter, our spirits would always be lifted, the pain and annoyance of this world would no longer weigh us down. This morning I cry out to the Lord for me and you, rebuking those things that draw us away from His instructions and guidance. Praying that we shed tears like Amia when we are tempted to go against our Father. TeamMyFatherSaidSo. Bblessedloveyou. Psalms 119 vs 17-32, Proverbs 15 vs 31-32

All In Love

People will take what you have and what you give for granted. In life there's always going to be someone who fails to recognize the true value of what you offer or give. I remind myself as I remind you, don't let people spoil or misuse what you worked hard for. Give and offer assistance but in all things pray before doing so. There are going to be times in our lives that will leave us feeling frustrated and let down but let those times teach us, don't make the same mistakes. I'm also sending out a reminder that we shouldn't base our happiness on the actions/reactions of others. Remembering that people are fickle. Once a spiritually immature person knows your weakness they will use it against you and try to bring you to your knees. If you're that spiritually immature person, stop it. Get an understanding of who and why God created us. He wants us to love and be loved. I can honestly say that I've been guilty of taken people in my life for granted. I pray for myself as I pray for, asking God to move in our lives, open our eyes to our selfish ways. Asking Him to forgive us for not truly loving and for being blinded by "by what we want" while rejecting "what we need". Lastly, many people followed Jesus as He walked the land but some of those same followers turned their backs on Him. Knowing this should make us want to be different, should make us look at the choices we're making and how we're dealing with others. I choose to love you and not use you. TeamAllInLove. Bblessedloveyou. John 13 vs 21-30.