“Kicker, Alex McPherson Chose to bless the Lord after 3 Failed Attempts, and was questioned. What determines your Praise?”
Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Football Kicker Alex McPherson clearly took that to heart! After multiple failed attempts for field goals for Auburn against Missouri, McPherson still gave God praise! He still knew that God was worthy to be praised in triumphant and defeat.
The irony is in the criticism McPherson faced when he chose to praise God after missing 3 field goals! We live in a society where God is Thanked after receiving the award, but is He not worthy to be praised when your name is not called? Does He not deserve our attention when what you desire does not come to fruition? The maturity and reverence shown by McPherson is a significant testament to a beautiful relationship that He is living out before our very eyes with the Lord. It is definitely not transactional in nature. It is an amazing awareness of all that God has afforded Him in the moment and what is due to God!
McPherson has been plagued with many health challenges that has taken him away from the game. However, the game has not taken him from Celebrating the One who has made Him a Winner through accepting Christ Jesus! There is an interesting phenomenon that happens in the Sports World. I call it Sports Mania Ministry, like how when people go to jail, many say they find God. It goes without saying that in both arenas, a true conversion can be had, but it is also vitally important that the most sobering self-assessment happens while incarcerated and released, as well as, while in collegiate sports and if the professional level is in the cards. Why you may ask? Great question: Allow me to bring on some Scout Talk!
Scouts wear many hats. Not only are they looking to place you in a situation to your advantage, but they also do a lot of intervening and damage control to protect one as an asset. Having a relationship with God that is built on a solid foundation is the best playbook an athlete can follow. It is so much more than John 3:16 plastered on your equipment, it is the act of becoming what is associated to these scriptures.
McPherson showed more God through defeat than many show in triumph. Shortly after the game of missed field goals, McPherson showed up in a later game and tied Auburn’s record of six field goals in one game! McPherson is displaying the Win on and off the field. Remember, Victory does not stop at Actions, it also encompasses Attitude!
Blessing the Lord at all times entails a mindset that is well aware that the praise is far greater than simply what is before you. It is the heart’s posture to know who goes before you. The One who opens and closes doors on your behalf because He knows what is best for you. It is the act of giving Him what is due because of who He is.
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your DD journal various scenarios where you gave God the honor that was due to Him even in the midst of adversity and it appearing not to work in your favor. If there was an event where neglected to give God what is due, write out that situation as well and how you felt concerning your response.
Pray:
Say a prayer concerning giving God continual praise and being able to understand the things He will use to mature you.
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You can learn a lot from folks on a cruise ship entering an elevator!
I have been in revelation overload on this trip. It is really eye-opening to see how we move in life through pleasure. In everyday life, my elevator experience has never been so welcoming and inviting. Getting on an elevator is usually met with an awkward silence and uncertainty of where to look. It is not usually a plethora of pleasantries and inviting faces. Do not misunderstand the message. The excitement is understood. It is the learned behavior that is subtly amusing.
Vacation is a time of wonderment and anticipation for what is to come. You have worked hard and enjoying the fruit of your labor. On a cruise line, you are meeting new people and often experiencing never before events with complete strangers. The conversation comes so easy, as you identify similar expectations. As I exited the elevator many times hearing people smile and say, “Enjoy your time.” It became a part of my Elevator Language. It became our exiting symphony to all who were getting off before us to begin their vacation journey for the day.
You all know how much I love to see life from Heaven’s View. Imagine leaving your home in your Sunday’s Best and your neighbor takes the time to smile and say, “Enjoy your time in church!” Imagine driving to church and you are listening to your Gospel List, and happen to put those hands up in praise, at a stop light. The driver next to you smiles and says, “Enjoy your time with Him!” Imagine getting all the way to your church, and while in the vestibule, you are greeted with a smile and someone says, “Enjoy your time as you are being prepared to spend eternally with the One who first loved and Saved you!”
Every Sunday all over the world, people go to a place that should have a category of excitement that is unmatched! The Word says, “For I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord.” -Psa 122:1 In Hebrew, “glad” is defined as, joyful, gleeful, or to brighten up. It is lauded as a deep feeling of joy! Multiply a child waking up on Christmas morning by 1,000! That is how we should feel walking into the church.
There is no experience like anything that has eternity wrapped in it! Vacations have their place; events are greatly welcomed; but to know we have an opportunity to go to a place where we come together as Believers in Christ and to worship God, all while He inhabits our praises!
Everything has limitations, but God is so bountiful in who He is! Go with me for a moment! We can pack out an elevator, but at some point, it will reach capacity. We can never exhaust God! Seven billion people can all go up in prayer, praise, and worship, and we would never have to wait for Him to receive our offering. How much more should our Elevator Language be for anything Heaven-related? The largest cheer and elation should be upon entering the House of Prayer!
These downloads have been marvelous in my soul. There is nothing like living for the Lord; enjoying life; and maturing in Him to be a blessing to others. It is also a blessing to see other countries call on the Name of the Lord! My Elevator Language for Heaven has definitely been increased!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your DD Journal how you will exit out of the Elevator of Life as you enter the church this week.
Pray:
Father God, may you never be common place. We are blessed to experience you in new and profound ways every time. Your heart has captured our heart. May our heart’s posture always be to worship you! You deserve all the praise! I love you more today than yesterday! The earth tells of your goodness! In Jesus Mighty & Matchless Name, Amen!
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Are we mature enough to pick the door “Some Day” over “Today”, when the latter can hinder Tomorrow?
Divine Design Readers, I pray this blog finds you exceptionally well. In the course of life, I have found an amazing gift in the Waiting Process. It for sure was not always like that. I was the queen of timeframes and expected deadlines. I was guilty of even putting my First Love, Jesus Christ on a clock for what I felt should be manifested in my life. Imagine telling the One who stands out of time when you feel you should be married; have children; be at the top of your career, and even your community involvement presence!
Since childhood, I have been groomed to walk in certain rooms and have experiences that spoke of a pedigree that was widely centered on self-preservation and bootstrapping, instead of truly embracing what God has for me. I can honestly say, God’s Plan is the absolute best! It has twists and turns that prepares you for the next boulevard you will travel.
When I really became serious about God, like if He took His Presence from me, I would not be able to breathe! It was in that season that I Thank God I was not married! There is no way I would have wanted to share that moment with anyone! The work that God did in my heart was intensive care treatment. It was the kind of surgery that if a miracle did not take place; I would not have made it through that process!
My talks of my transition are candid and sobering because I know what it is like to be in the position of those building the Tower of Babel! I know what it is like to build things with your eyes close and they prosper in the eyes of the world. I have the memories of what it is like to be invited into rooms with wealth and prestige, but No God in Sight! Even today, when I think about what God did not allow to be! It sometimes makes me tearful with gratitude for how He Saved me not from the Streets, but from the Penthouse!
This Blog is designed to get you to embrace the Waiting Process! Too often, we are consumed with attempting to gauge the time something will take. However, we seldom focus on the blessing of God allowing you to wait! What He is investing in your life for Him to get a ROI. What is it for God to place in you beforehand what it will take to be a Godly Wife and be a helpmate who has not made marriage an idol, but goes just as hard in the Spiritual Paint as your Spouse?
I am so grateful for how we are positioned to move after God makes us over! How the intensive surgery produces a heart that pumps out God’s Love; a commitment to live out loud for Him; and a desire for others to experience what you now have in Him! The Waiting Process is Glorious! I smile with an imaginary sweat gland activated in typing that, because it certainly was not always like that! LOL! God knows, the long suffering that He has shown with His daughter concerning being the child who always asked, “But why…?”
Friend, choosing “Some Day” over “Today” not only better prepares you, but also gives you a great appreciation for what God Crock Pot cooked for you! I am eternally grateful for His Saving Grace; His heart transplant; and His Makeover! It is glorious to walk into “Tomorrow” free from pre-maturity and anxiousness.
It goes without saying that we are always growing and being stretched in our faith! The flex is not going before Him, and having a grateful heart for every stage of your life! Contentment-ville is a boulevard that has a scenic route out of this world. I checked your schedule and cleared it for the day. I saved a seat for you! This blog is being brought to you from this most quaint dessert cafe in Italy. Even on vacation, you are being warmly thought about. Bon Appétit!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your divine design journal your feelings about waiting. What are some of the blessings in waiting on God?
Pray:
Father God, I am grateful for all that you have planned for me. You have made my life complete by how detailed you have been with ordering my life. Great is your faithfulness. You have a way of daily blowing our minds. You take our lives and transform them. You truly give us purpose. Thank you for loving us so much, that you provided a Way through Your Son to not remain in a state of mind simply concerned about acquiring here. Waiting on You is an honor. May my heart’s posture be to forever give you glory and honor you with how I wait and live for you! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
When What You Once Called a Bunch of “No’s”, You Now Call “Glorious Decisions!”
Just imagine purchasing a ticket; and voluntarily getting on a flight to go to the Vostok Islands. An uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean surrounded by dangerous, narrow coral reefs. There is no means to survive the elements of its surroundings. It has such a dense forest that on Google Maps, it gives the appearance of a black hole.
You realize that you did not count the cost. You are met with the realization that you invested in a place that you were never supposed to inhabit. You shared the excitement of your wonderment before you truly acknowledged the impending danger that you subjected yourself to in that season. All in the name of saying “Yes” to subscribing to the YOLO Mantra…You Only Live Once.
Before Christ, we called the “Yeses” free Spirit and being adventurous. People would tell you, “Live a little.” You would make decisions out of compulsion and not allows free will. There may have even been times where you knew you did not belong where you said, “Yes.” Shakespeare said, “The world is your oyster.” Opportunities await your curiosity. The intrigue of what is behind the door sets in. How many times did curiosity expose your eyes and ear gates to something that extended way pass the event &/or encounter?
Oh, but the moment that we were removed from the Yes Moments; we were met with a void that was increasing in diameter with every Yes of Entitlement and Compromise. It is the Mercy of God, when we chose to live in a space that He never called to be inhabitable; yet He allows a restlessness with World’s System. The theologian Augustine said, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
That restlessness turned into a seek. A desperation for the One who life is found in. There are those who said, “Yes” to God; however they still see their New Life as restrictive and riddled with “No’s.” I wonder if they really reached the place of understanding that we serve a God who 100% wants His Best for us! He has never held back from a place of ill-intent. If anything, He allowed some things to not come to fruition, because He knew it would impede our growth in Him.
The more you walk with God and surrender, the more His Love Letter unfolds. No’s in God saved our lives. No’s in Him guarded our hearts. No’s in the Great I Am preserved our posterity! We evolve into No’s as Glorious Decisions we get to make. A people who were once unrighteousness, unholy, and self-serving now get a chance to embrace the No’s as a protection from on high!
I often feel we miss our Shout! It is an honor,
To Just Say No to…
Fornication, Drunkenness, Envy, Covetousness, Pride, Unfruitful Connects and so many other decisions that we once said, “Yes” to and cost us more than we would ever be able to convey! The full impact is never just about the seen consequences, there is a stain left on the heart and only God can reach the place where we said, “Yes” to everything but Him! He is a Redeemer and a Restorer. When you factor all that He has done- the No to what does not honor Him is a response we get to give in return! It is absolutely glorious for our decisions to be transformative and exclusive! “Just Say No”…proudly, I will!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal all of the Glorious Decisions of No’s you now get to make because of your surrender to Christ. If you are still battling with the Yeses that helped to place you in bondage, write out the fruit that has been produced from that decision.
Pray:
*Say a personal prayer concerning being able to embrace the standard of God and what He has empowered you to carry out in your decision-making.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
The Power of the Answer is Tied to the Quality of the Question!
We live under so many unanswered questions. Many can find themselves perplexed by the answers given to the questions. Can it be because we do not agree with the answer? Maybe it is because the answer is not confirming a certain thought.
There was a very popular line in the movie, “A Few Good Men” Colonel Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson, during the intense scene said, “You can’t handle the truth!” There is a level of Truth that can shock our System to the point of believing, it was better not knowing. We can go through life not desiring the whole Truth.
God truly has a remarkable way of preparing us for the weight of Truth! He enlarges our capacity to take in information so that we may respond appropriately and righteously. It is a gift of God to not have to succumb to overwhelming thoughts about what we heard; rather being able to recalibrate and grow thereby.
God is so mindful of us in every way imaginable. He is the Protector of our hearts. He is our fortress. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Can you imagine the back to back truths facing Job in having reports concerning his family and livelihood? At the end of his questions, he was able to truly understand that he was standing before The Answer. The One who was able to restore and heal his heart.
Someone can present the question, “I love God, you don’t love God?” Immediately loddy doddy everybody can quickly say, “Yes” without truly pondering on the weight of the question. What if the question was poised, “Do you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind?” The quality of the question just went through the stratosphere! It forces you to sit with the question. There is an assessment before an answer.
In the counseling world, we were taught to ask open-ended questions to be able to get more quality from the exchange of the session. In the sales world, not asking quality-based questions can cost you the sell. Well, how does that look in the life of a Believer? The Word of God says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—” -Luke 14:28
Do we go through this abundant life and embrace what it will take to get to Powerful Answers? What are the Quality Questions we ask ourselves to remain on the narrow path? Are our questions leading to us truly being a prepared person? How painfully honest are we with our own inquiries concerning our readiness? It can be daunting, but it does not have to remain there. There is nothing like looking in the mirror and admitting that the quality needed to excel in your walk is not where it should be, but you are willing to put in the work to look like who God says you are in Him!
I leave you with a Growth Challenge: Take a moment to think about the definition surrounding Quality. After your probe, create a Quality Game Plan that will get you to your Answers fueled with Power. You will go through life differently. It will cause you not to haphazardly answer; rather showing up to life with zeal and wisdom to be more intentional in your practices and truly owning your Answers!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down your Growth Challenge response in your Divine Design Journal.
Pray:
Tag, you’re it. I want you to end this blog with your own prayer. God equips and empowers us through prayer! Be encouraged, it always gets more enriching in Christ!
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Are you a Lawyer or Attorney with the Truth?
Before giving the confused face, always know: the question is loaded, and we are most certainly going to the Highest of High Altitudes. Truth has intrinsic and profound layers that we may not actually take the time to realize—the sacrifice and perseverance it truly requires to be called His own, as well as to wear the merit of acknowledgment that speaks to being with Him.
A Juris Doctorate requires great discipline and commitment. It is the decision to devote additional years to a postgraduate degree. In 2024, approximately 115,000 students enrolled in Juris Doctorate (JD) programs in law schools. Each year, it is estimated that about 34,000–38,000 law students graduate with a JD.
Those statistics show that the finish is not always met with the same fervor as the start. The trek of the believer is likened to the elliptical machine, which has an interval marked “Advance.” It entails resistance and the need to know how to adjust to recalibration. Whether you select a beautiful scenic view or just the bars, the work to achieve the determined goal is grueling and challenging. It forces you to go beyond your perceived gear—just as this walk produces a spiritual stature that far exceeds the capability of your flesh.
The Word of God says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” -Philippians 2:5. There is a mindset shift needed to complete law school. How much more for matriculating through life while following Christ? Just as the elliptical has multiple settings—Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced—one can go to college and choose to Party, Coast, or Break Forth! The Break Forth has always been a required course, not an elective. There is no way to experience graduation and/or progress without the breaking. No accomplishment is absent of sacrifice.
And God, being God, adds obedience to the required courses for us being Called Out! After all, we reap the benefit of our tuition being paid in full through His Son. That calls us not to remain in Beginner (Excited, but not Counting the Cost) or Intermediate (Coasting). It calls us to stretch and to possess what He said was possible—not simply from a tangible place, but from the cumulative teaching and ability to apply His Word.
Graduation day comes, and one walks across the stage to obtain their J.D. The one who was once a student is now a lawyer. Elation fills the air, but they know it does not end there—the Bar Exam is still ahead. “Bar” is an interesting and telling word. It does not have an acronym attached; it represents a place of separation between the public and the Judge & Legal Counsel—the point at which one who was merely a lawyer now gains access to cross the barrier as an attorney.
Altitude ascension is now in operation. Let’s see Lawyer/Attorney from Heaven’s perspective. We spend hours obtaining knowledge of His Word. We sit in churches week after week. We walk across the Stages of Life declaring we are Christians. We have the paraphernalia—from shirts to bumper stickers—repping our favorite spiritual alma maters (churches). And yet, for some reason, we think it ends there.
No—it is just the beginning. We cannot practice without going through the exams of life that teach us to respect the heights of the BAR. There is a Standard of Law expected in the natural. How much more in the spiritual realm? People are counting on you to be in position to represent. There is no name change from Jacob (Lawyer) to Israel (Attorney) without perseverance and testing! Jacob was left alone to wrestle and do what it took to pass the Bar.
Here is the Double Shout:
Jacob was not really alone—God has always been there with you.
The first-time pass rate for the Bar Exam ranges from 50–80%, depending on many factors. But testing in God has the ability to be a 100% Completion, as we yield and surrender our will to His!
Do not just stop at learning of Him—go all the way to letting His mind be in yours. Then, when going past the Bar, we will be qualified!
Selah.
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal what trepidation you experience in sharing your faith and witnessing? Create a Plan to actively share your faith and be a billboard for Christ.
Pray:
Father God, you have been our hope and promise. There are moments of questioning will we be able to finish strong? Will Your Will be fully carried out in our lives? May we engulf the richness and completeness of your Word. You have never sent us into the world to fail when we are representing you. May the Bar that you set be adheres to so that we may walk in places that only you can qualify us for. In Jesus Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
A Virtuous Woman Thrives in Yes & No
Proverbs 31 is one of the most recited chapters when it comes to speaking of a Woman of God. It gives many this perpetual green light to go and pursue. It is the thought that everything that you do will prosper and everyone will call you blessed. That is wonderful when it happens, but do we have enough faith and sticktuitiveness in us to remain committed when everyone is not calling you blessed or it appears that nothing is working out for you?
The Walk of a Virtuous Woman does not only include our ability to do, but to also be able to pivot and recalibrate. There are times that with the best plan and intentions, that door still remains closed. God can and will perfect us through a No. We may not want to hear No all the time, but a No to something saved our lives! A No allowed us to walk away from what would have actually jeopardized our walk with God! A No is not to be underestimated or poorly received. “It was good that He afflicted me, so that I may keep His statutes.”
It is an interesting phenomenon we are seeing in Christiandom. There are so many who lead with hustling to get whatever you want. “Faith comes by hearing; hearing the Word of God.” When was the last time you attended a conference that told you to pray first about the direction God wants you to go? Prayer does not just change things; it can reroute our thoughts and pursuit concerning a thing!
Multi-tasking has taken a 1st Place trophy over Be Still and Know I am God. We struggle to get and stay still. This should not be, Virtuous Woman. There is something so sacred and precious in stilling away with God. Where there are no deadlines, only life in Him and moments to experience Him in His Splendor!
Virtuous Woman, A No in God when it is not His Will or Time can be just as exceptional as a Yes in God. Go with me for a moment. Allow me to paint the picture. How many times has God intervene prior to us making what would have been a detrimental decision? If you have ever experienced God ending a thing you did not have enough Will Power to end. You will look at No’s in God quite differently.
God never has a hidden agenda that does not have our best intentions at heart. Seeing God even use decisions that we have made to turn them around for our good. There is truly No Greater Love! Not even the Plan that we have for our lives can compare to what He has for us!
There was a very popular image circulating of a young lady being asked to give God her teddy bear in exchange for what she cannot see, that will be presented to her! Let’s take that visual even higher! We stand before God with a baggage of familiarity, idiosyncrasies, habits, and hangups and He lovingly stands before us- extends His hand to take things that did not come from Him, nor gives Him glory!
God wants us to thrive in both seasons- The Yes & No.We must delight to carry out His Will. We must never forget that He will meet us both on the mountain top and valley low! A Good Father knows where we are in our maturity. God knows what would be distraction and what would catapult us into carrying out His Will!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your DD Journal some of your recent Yes and No Moments from God and the impact both have had on you.
Pray:
Father God, Thank you for changing our perspective There have been things your No has spared me from- events that I will never fully know. Your care for me is beyond imagination. Thank you for maturing me in your ways and truly causing me to live out the words of Your mouth. May the virtue that you endowed me with allow me to continue to live holy before you! You are my Rock & Fortress Forever! In Jesus Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Woman RESOLVE!
Woman, there are so many invitations headed your way! Invitations to remain in what wounded you instead of walk away and be healed! Invitations to get to the bag by any means necessary instead of being prolonged by trusting the process of God ! Invitations to drink the moonshine over the milkshake. Invitations to be entertained by the world’s standard instead of embracing the wholesomeness of God and fellowshipping with others whose hearts have been captured by God!
Make no mistake, the Invitation is coming for your, “Yes Lord.” It is coming for those intimate prayers and promises that only you and God know. “Lord, if you get me out of this situation, I promise I won’t do this or that.” Or perhaps, “Lord, if you allow this door to open, I promise this or that.” A Yes to God is like no other affirming statement that you will ever say to a human being! You are saying “Yes” to the One who knows exactly how many times you will break that Vow or keep it!
Are you Ready? Are you ready to RESOLVE? Are you ready to have a made up mind about following God all the way? Are you ready to forsake all others? Are you ready to swim against the tide? Are you ready to be penalized for being peculiar? Are you ready for the Holy Roller Title? Are you ready for the infamous, “It doesn’t take all that!” Unless they were in the room, and knew 101% of what God delivered you from- How would they know how much it took for you to reach God’s heart? Do not skip over “101%”, it was not an oversight. Do we fully understand the dangers seen and unseen that God spared us from! Deliverance can go far beyond our physical acts! What lies in those thoughts? Is unbelief on a microphone in our minds, but never uttered from our mouths? God continues to be an amazing Deliverer! One who will allow fire to encamp you but you not smell like smoke! Jesus!
Are you ready to take the hits for your RESOLVE? It is an amazing liberty that comes with resolving in your heart that for God I live and for God I die! There is also a place of reckoning. This place in God will often cause you to be misunderstood. It will many times have your motives questioned. It will reduce your invitations over time. It will stretch you; break you; mold you, and perfect you!
Woman, this RESOLVE is never ever on clearance; yet it is available for every Sister willing to pay the price! However, this cannot be purchased with your black card. This Invitation does not come with a VIP Section. Your pedigree nor connections will get you this invitation! It is the Most Sacred Invitation you will ever receive! This one is not mailed or wired. There will be no need to save it on your calendar, because it will be stamped on your heart upon acceptance! There will be no need to hunt for the right outfit for the next conference, because He adorns you in the perfect garments that will never dry rot or shrink!
There is a Greek Word for Resolve (bouleuo)- to consider, decide, take counsel, deliberate. Luke 14:31, so effectively expresses the weight of the definition, “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” The deliberation and decision are intense, because when that visual comes- it is what you have resolved in your heart is what will help you stand! How much Word? How much History with God do you have to progress and not retreat?
Woman, way before you evolve, a RESOLVE is needed! If not, you will find yourself line dancing with the world on Saturday and attempting to raise up Holy hands on Sunday! I assure you, there is an acceptable worship for a Holy & Righteous God, just as there is one that does not bring Him Honor.
Woman RESOLVE beyond the noise, hype, and emotion! Your very Spiritual Life depends upon it! If an avalanche hit your life in the form of trials and tribulations, do you have enough RESOLVE in you to Stand; enough persistence to Go; and enough indebtedness to God to continue to Show up saying, “Yes Lord?”
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your Divine Design Journal what it has taken or will take for you to get to a resolve in God. What have you chosen to walk away from that at first, you did not see it as an issue, but as you pursued God more, you began to learn what truly honors and dishonors Him?
Pray:
***Write out a prayer concerning God giving and perfecting your resolve for Him and His Ways. Pray for your circle of influence and the impact that you will have on each other to further your Spiritual Growth.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Divine Life Lessons from Hannah
Can you imagine being in the midst of a daily reminder of what you desire, but do not have? We do not serve a God who is oblivious to our suffering. He uses it to perfect us. He allows it to be a catalyst to stretch us and produce the Fruit of the Spirit. He shapes our desires to align with His Will.
Hannah found herself toiling with her current reality of not bearing a child, but she did not allow it to impede on her going to the temple. Evolving thoughts have people thinking that church attendance is not as paramount. I am here to debunk the thought of church not being relevant in the 21st Century! Church attendance in a Bible-based, God-fearing edifice is like the expectation of having someone go to a hospital for a triple bypass heart surgery! That procedure is not done at home. No one would expect you to remain in your nicely decorated room, no matter how plush it is to have that kind of surgery!
Hebrews 10:25 speaks of us not forsaking ourselves from the assembly of the brethren. There are so many topics in the Word of God that we have given a grey area mark that really should be in black and white. Why is the expectation not to do a life-threatening procedure from the home accepted, but living your life absent of the Church and the fellowship has met the approval of so many?
Is it about convenience or inconvenience? Is it a convenience to get up whenever you like on a Sunday and be able to head straight to brunch? After all, you work so many hours during the week! Hey, you deserve to do as you wish with your weekend. Right? Perhaps it is the inconvenience of it all. Having to find something to wear; driving to a location; finding a parking space; sitting through both Praise & Worship and your Pastor bringing a Message with an undisclosed ending time.
Decisions are never solo passengers. They are always accompanied by input as to why or why not. Does something fit in the scheme of what I have planned for my life or is it an inconvenience I am willing to work through? We like to make it about either/or. However, the more I live, I see this third option. I am also learning that everything is not about “I have to” in God, it moves to “I get to!”
Let’s allow the “Get to Crew” to speak…
•I get to honor Him with time, treasure, and talent.
•I get to sacrifice.
•I get to dress up for my King.
•I get to worship Him uninterrupted or absent of fear of being arrested for doing so.
•I get to be in a place that challenges me to come up higher.
Hannah’s life was such a beautiful access view of what it means to be broken; yet still consciously aware of her need for God. In the Secret Place, there is no pretentiousness or assumption. There is this humility that comes as you take in the weight of His Glory. Hannah did not just go to God complaining and accusing. Accusatory Prayers take the spotlight off of the One who is able!
One of the most fascinating occurrences for me is Hannah’s countenance upon leaving! 1 Samuel 1:18 says after she left from Eli, she ate and was sad no more! Never underestimate the Come in thru Sorrow and Go Out in God! Today’s Life Lesson from Hannah is…God Remembered, as I remembered who I stood before! When your ask aligns with His Plan and you are mature enough in Him to worship prior to manifestation, that carries another level of grace!
Divine Work & Pray:
Jot down in your journal lessons you get from Hannah’s Life from 1 Samuel 1.
Pray:
Father God, Thank you for the lives of our Sisters and Brothers lived out in the Bible. They were far beyond action figures, they are far greater. They are human beings who placed their faith in You. They believed You for what seemed impossible. You are truly a God who has our best interest at heart and there is no plan for my life like Yours. Thank you for ordering my steps. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Play through Pain…Not just for the Team, but for the Godly Investment!
If you follow sports, you have heard many heralding stories of Athletes playing though pain. Many have conditioned themselves to play pass what their bodies are communicating. However, there is a Will that can override the objection of the body. Their decision to continue to play superseded the agony of their bodies not being at 100!
Let’s look at some Athletes who played through pain:
•1980 Los Angeles Rams, Jack Youngblood played in the Super Bowl XIV with a fractured leg.
•1985 San Francisco 49er, Ronnie Lott had an injury to his finger where a piece dislodged in the game. He had them wrap it up for him to play in the playoffs.
•2008 Tiger Woods won the US Open with a broken leg and torn ACL.
•2013 Liza Clemons was a Student Athlete at Purdue University. She played through a torn labrum and broken foot. Her pain did not end there. In the same year, she loss her fiancé to gun violence. During this time, it is reported that Clemons did not miss one practice, not from injury or grief.
You see, pain is not always relegated to the physical. There can be a heart pain that no doctor can touch and no medication can relieve. Oh, but there is a Balm in Gilead! The Lord has a way of reaching our heart and healing us to the point of total recovery. He will take our wounded heart and will us back to His Will.
Remembering the Investment God has made in our lives will keep us mindful of what we must do! Just as 2 Samuel 12:20 penned, “David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.” There are so many miracles connected to saying, “Yes Lord.” The strength to get up again. The ability to worship. The endurance to see what the end will be. The will to show up for life after pain and injury. The privilege of lifting our hands to a Holy God. He is a very present Help. No pain, whether it be physical or mental can surpass God’s ability to see about you.
It is impossible for us to bring anything to God that He cannot grow us through. I have always been inspired by the story of Joseph. His brothers stood both in fear and then amazement by his desire not to harm them, but to provide for them. There was no tit-for-tat in Joseph. He understood what God would turn around for his good by what was meant from their evil.
There are acts that we can do in Christ that goes beyond human comprehension. Our focus often becomes what happens to us, but the real spotlight is Who happened to us? Think about the exchange that we gave God- an unyielding, tainted, self-seeking, egotistical, complaining, unrighteousness, prideful, and unforgiving life only to get from Him- holiness, the blueprint to die to self, humility, sober-mindedness, and endowed with an ability to forgive and even pray for our enemies. And just when you thought that was enough to drive the point home- the View of Calvary- Jesus giving His Life that we may have life! Truly take that in! How much do we owe?
Playing through Pain because of the Godly Investment will keep us grateful and kingdom-minded. Our show up points people to God and sends a message of the ability of God to build and shape us for what our lot entails. It goes without saying, God gives reprieves, but make no mistake about it- this Walk is not what we retire out of- it is what we are redeemed into for all eternity. You may be playing through pain right now. It may be the most excruciating pain you have ever experienced, but look up for a moment. The latter shall be greater. Keep your eyes on God and watch Him make the final play!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal some of the life injuries you have experienced recently (physically, emotionally, & spiritually). Write in detail how God brought you through each.
Pray:
Oh Lord, how excellent is your Name in all the earth. When I look back over my life and see all that you have brought me through. Every trial and tribulation was meant for me to keep my eyes on you. There were things that were working for my good that I could not imagine. May my mind be affixed on your sustaining and keeping power. Great is your faithfulness towards me. In your Mighty Name, in Jesus Name. Amen.
“The Audacity to Believe”
Empowerment is an integral part of advancement, but it can also be met with opposition and resistance. It is a catalyst to coming off of the fence. It awaits a response and will either propel you or question why you are still in the same place. After all, you got a Word. Not just any Word, and not just from anyone. The Word of God tells us that He stands over His Word to perform it and it shall not return to Him void. He separated darkness from light and land from sea, simply by His Word!
What shall be impossible for the One who stands outside of time? What could interfere with His Word not coming to pass? There is nothing that He needs from us in order for what He speaks to come to fruition. That should be Shout #1. The fact that He spoke it! Shout #2 should be because He endows us with the ability to believe. As we hear His Word, our faith is set into motion to receive it and move accordingly.
It may be a natural inclination to want to know the ins and outs of how something will be done- from start to finish. However, the life of the Believer is not handicapped by that school of thought. Is it really faith if I have to see it all to believe it all? There is something sacred and endearing in seeing God manifest in our time what was already drawn up in Heaven. For God to allow you to experience what His Plan is in the earth realm.
Glory to God for the View He has given us in End Times! There are missile-like weapons being formed daily for you to abort; yet your faith is getting stronger simply through your believing what He said. The track record of God is impeccable and unchanging. There is no failure in Him. He is not taken aback by the days growing darker because He knows how the Story will end.
We must have a faith to not only match the times, but exceed it. Being more than a conqueror is not barely making it or being on fumes. It displays a triumphant and concurrent victor. You are not a one hit wonder. In God, you are supposed to have Winning Season(s). Let’s turn another corner on the weight behind that Season by highlighting the preceding Season!
The Off Season is a part of what makes a Winning Season. Discipleship does its best work when you are in obscurity; on the other side of that mountain. When your devotion and dying to self is the daily diet. The junk food of gossip, compromise, and unbelief do not even make it into your cart. Belief calls for a strict diet. It frowns upon cheat days. The Audacity to Believe is about seeing the greater reward in placing our Trust in God and leaning not to our own understanding.
The Audacity to Believe will bring a spotlight, but it is not for you to shy away from fulfillment. Rather, it is an opportunity to point people towards God. Bragging on Him and the Gift of Faith that He has given you through Christ Jesus. Your Faith Walk will not be understood by everyone. Your obedience is not meant to be by popular opinion. As the song says, “They were not there, the night that Jesus found you.” A Yes to God could cost you everything, but His response to your believing will cause you to have to define what it means for Heaven to give you EVERYTHING!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal what is hindering your believing what God said? Meditate on passages of scripture concerning faith.
Pray:
Great Jehovah, it is an honor and a privilege to be called your own. The benefits of serving you far outweigh anything that I had to walk away from. Your plans concerning my life exceed my expectations. You had victory in mind while I was in sin; living a defeated life. The exchange will never be fair, but I am so grateful that a Yes to You changed the trajectory of my life for all eternity! The Audacity to Believe you has permanently changed my address. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
“You mean to tell me…”
So, you mean to tell me that the Call on your Life does not call for you to press? To go beyond how you feel. Perseverance is not just for the strong. It is for the ones who put their whole weight on God! For those who still show up and do it with their knees shaking. Bishop Paul Morton sang a song that said, “Whatever you’re doing in this season, please don’t do it without me!” We should never be okay with God having to give what our hands were supposed to do to another because of our disobedience or disqualification!
Beloved, your dash means something. It is the “Why” of Him breathing life in you. There are people, places, and things connected to your fingerprint. The uniqueness of that print is for us to be participants in God getting Glory. You stand in the strength of the One who sent you!
You mean to tell me, because the marriage folded, the career tanked; the children got strung out on drugs- you are going to wave the white flag? Do you not remember when He changed the outcome on the last thing? Do you not recall when He healed you and made you whole from the last heartbreak? Surely, you remember Him being there when you felt all alone.
The faithfulness of God could never be on trial because He has never been guilty of not doing exactly what He said He would do! He is a very present help! He is Lord & Savior! The beginning and the end. He is your refuge and fortress forever! He is the Lifter of your head. The Keeper of your soul! He stands in sovereignty and splendor! His Name is Matchless! Go up Memory Lane on His Pedigree! He is altogether lovely and deserving of us turning the corner with our faith!
Wait! I think you’re getting it now! You did not need everything to be fair. You needed to know that whether abased or abound, it is Showtime- to be a billboard for Him in any state that you find yourself! Whether you find yourself on the Mountain high or Valley low, He is worthy to be praised! What if no one knew which one you were in because your praise never changed?
So, you mean to tell me that with tears streaming, you are going to get up and trust God? You are going to stay around and see Him give you beauty for ashes? You see, the waiting to see what the end will be has to be about already knowing that God has worked it out for your good! We will never beat His faithfulness and commitment. Therefore, the harder you go for God, the more He will show Himself.
I feel a corner turn…
You mean to tell me, that you will not allow anything to impede your place in God! That you will suit up with the whole armor and stay the course! Even your countenance will tell the story of how He has made you over! He has built you to take many lickings and continue ticking! There is nothing cheap about the Grace of God! May His Grace be planted in Good Soil and watch the fruit not only satisfy you, but all those whom you are to cross paths with in this season and beyond! Now go and tell it on the mountain!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal what your turnaround looks like. What measures are you putting in place to forge towards the mark?
Pray:
Father God, we are simply in awe of You. What you use to mature us and prepare us goes beyond our imagination. The evidence of how you turned it around for my good. The mercy moments and measures you took for my retesting that I may pass. You deserve the glory and honor. May my life be poured out and usable. Your majesty and splendor are on display even in a fallen world. May I be found in faith when you return. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Joy comes in the morning …Can you see a brand new day in the midst?
Psalm 31, A thanksgiving for deliverance and lauded as a song at the Dedication of the Temple. Twelve verses with a profound emphasis on the exchange involving what we give God and in turn what He bestows upon us. In verse five, “For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” -amplified.
I am convinced that often times as Believers, we are missing our Shout! There has to be a hope in us that is not ever quenched by the blows of life. The joy is not contingent upon daybreak. It does not need pristine conditions. It does not require situations and circumstances to align. Joy in the morning is a heart posture that is mindful that God continues to perfect us to stand and experience His fruit of the Spirit in and out of season. His equipping is more than than enough for this hour.
You see, there has to be an “I am persuaded” in you. When we belt Gospel songs, and declare the Word of the Lord, an appreciation and abundant life should come forth. We cannot afford to be mistaken for Believers who only want to tell of His goodness when He gives us what we prayed for. God is too good and faithful for us to have a transactional love for Him.
I think we need to cement the thoughts of how He found us. Ezekiel 16:6 says, “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ God has not just spoken life over us to accumulate things; rather He has breathed life in us to give Him Glory and provoke others to serve Him by the way that we live for Him.
Let us dissect “in the midst” for a moment. There are times we try to wear our battle scars like they have a greater story than us being able to maintain our joy! Here God comes in the worst season of our lives, healing us and setting us free and somehow, what still has our attention are the people, places, and things that actually drove us to the Cross!
You see, dear friend, your healing is not on the shoulders of those whom love you. It falls squarely on you to maintain your patience, joy, love, temperance, kindness, goodness, gentleness, peace, and faithfulness. “In the midst” is our instructions to not wait until the battle is over, but shout now! When has God ever failed in keeping you? When has He ever decided not to endow you with all you need to be triumphant? It is not in His character to allow testing without Him creating impeccable Life Lessons to prepare us for what is to come.
He remains a Good, Good Father. A Father you can put your whole weight on. One who will not fail you. His nature is without blemish. The way He sustains and keeps us should really be highlighted more. God owes us nothing; yet He provides daily bread! Let me end this blog with a final brag on God! Psalm 31 ends with these two verses, 11 & 12…”You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” Amen & Amen!
They’re asking about Fans, I am wondering, Where’s your JOY at? Assume the position and give Him what is due!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your Divine Design journal moments and times you are grateful for. Pen ways in which you can demonstrate that your joy is still intact, even through the most challenging times.
Pray:
Father God, you really are our Miracle. You are our everyday reminder just how much you did to reach us and how much you have carried us through. You are our hiding place. You are our refuge. It is in you that we are able to continue to meet the dawning of a new day with hope and promise. Thank you for maturing us in you! You are a very present help and all that we are in need of, You have been. Great is your faithfulness. I vow to praise you in good and bad times, because you deserve a continual praise! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
Aesthetically Christian- Over Transformationally Christian
There is an old saying, “They look the part.” They have what appears to be all the trimmings of what they say they are. The bow tie is just right. The dress length is modest. Their hand raises are synchronized with the Message. They can finish the Pastor’s sentences before he even be completes his point.
We are in an era where being aesthetically pleasing with no true transformation is accepted. Leaders are not forced to bear fruit worthy of the Calling. Therefore, the congregation also gives itself a license to look the part without truly being the part. It does not grieve many for the buzz word of the day to be “Christian Nationalist “ all while the true Image of Christ is being misrepresented.
Aesthetically pleasing Christianity has people tying God to politics when His throne has never chosen a side, because it is His Nature to remain Sovereign. The misrepresentation has even had self-professed Believers split in what God has approved and what He will allow.
Aesthetically pleasing works in the natural, but it will never be the look that gets the heart of God! God desires a broken heart with a contrite Spirit. He looks for a visual in us that mirrors Him. The type of transformation that changes our Spiritual DNA. For we were decaying without Him. Before the Mind of Christ, our mind was metastasizing with the cares of the World System. Our Success and Happiness was measured by the Views of a Temporary Barometer.
No fear or loss of hope; the Shout is loading! Picture this as the opening to the Shout…The Transformational Christian Title will deplete YOU! It will be the New Creature status to take YOU from dependency on YOU and YOUR efforts to Total Dependency on God. Indeed, it is a process. However, it is worth remaining on the Potter’s Wheel for the Ultimate Makeover! You see, you may come out with scars, but they will be a beautiful reminder of what God brought you through! He did not leave you in that place to look the part- He spoke His Word for you to become the part!
We live in what is possible because of Christ! We move and have our being because of Christ. Are you at the place where you are ready for to be vulnerable? The place where the mask is removed. The destination spot where you meet God with all of your baggage from looking the part to exchange it for His Sonship! He will give you beauty for ashes. What broke you helped to build the foundation for a transformation that had eternity stamped on it!
Life & Death will be presented to you- choose wisely. The Aesthetics of death far surpass what we see in the Now! Your intended portion is to be transformed and that will forever be worth the wait!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal characteristics related to being both Aesthetically Christian & Transformationally Christian.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your thoughts towards us. While we were yet Sinners, You sent your Son. Forgive us for moments of thinking it was harder to walk out holiness, than it was to remain in our transgressions. Out transformation is something that should keep us at your feet and in constant pursuit of You! You have blessed us with New Life and you are deserving of us living that Life to Your Glory! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
What Indiana Pacers Taught Us!
The Indiana Pacers in Game 7 lost their fearless leader, Tyrese Haliburton in the 1st quarter due to an Achilles injury. Both the team and Haliburton knew the danger related to him playing due to prior injuries, but his will to be there for his team outweighed the decision to truly assess his injury and ability to play. Most players would have made the same decision honestly speaking. With it all on the line and it being the final game to determine the NBA champions, many would have echoed his decision.
In the midst of that injury, I saw one of the most remarkable visuals that would end up with a decision that was truly in the best interest of the team. His team gathered around and covered him as he agonized with not just the injury, but also not being able to contribute to his team’s efforts to win. As Haliburton had to be accompanied by two players to take him to the locker room, it was determined that he would not return to the game!
Let’s take the visual to Heaven’s Heights! There are times that we continue to have soldiers who are bleeding over everyone and yet we allow them to stay at that post instead of excusing them and letting them receive the necessary attention for them to heal and be made whole. Some are allowed to stay in positions for years where they have done more detriment than good.
Indiana did not allow Halliburton’s position to outweigh what was in the best interest of the team. The threat of more harm being done is what often times allow teams to come to a resolve that speaks to being concerned more so with the athlete’s overall well being.
As Believers in Christ, we can truly learn a lot by what Indiana displayed. The covering showed a united front and ability to see how game altering that moment was for the Pacers. Not only were they met with their leader going down, but also the necessary adjustments that would have to be made in real time. Although they loss the game, there was no doubt that understood next man up!
It is so crucial for Believers to move in a cadence that speaks to oneness and single devotion to the Lord. As a well-trained Army. They move in unison even without having to look at one another. They have spent enough time together and perfecting what concerns them. They become one sound and united for one cause. How much more does that apply to the Army of the Lord?
Love is not about enablement. It is about truth from the inward parts. We love 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for reasons akin to the sustaining power behind love. It speaks of what Love is able to endure. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” Place a highlighter and cement in your heart…It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. God’s love is a mature love and is more mindful of our maturation and wellness than our gifting and talents.
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your Divine Design Journal the blessings in sitting down when injured and what that decision ultimately does for your sisters and brothers.
Pray:
Father God, when we think of all that you have done in our lives, it makes us want to serve for You. However, because you are a Good Father, you prefer us to take the stance of Mary over Martha. Sitting down to learn of the One we wait in anticipation to serve. You are a Sovereign God and you know what is needed to be shaped and molded in us. Continue to create in us a clean heart and renew a right Spirit. Our desire is to be fully whole and complete in you, so that when we do go into battle along side our sisters and brothers, we will not impede or impair the efforts of the team. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
I know you have Goals, but your Standard is the Gold!
If not mindful, getting to the Top can be met with so many compromises! The envelope push can feel like it is justified, because you are confronted with so much adversity in obtaining your goals. There will be solicited and unsolicited advice. You must learn how to respect The Game enough to know that you do not know everything, all while remaining untainted from everything that is not intended to bring about God’s expected end.
Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.” It is one of the most misinterpreted passages of scripture! Habakkuk was being instructed to write down what God said. Goal Setting most certainly has its place, but our plans must be written upon our hearts, absent of a permanent marker. God has a way of removing, adding, dividing, and totally revamping what we thought our lot would be and how He desires for it to be fulfilled.
“Yes Lord” could cause you to leave your bucket… the women at the well
“Yes Lord” could cause you to go before the king without being summons, for the preservation of your people…Esther (Hadassah)
“Yes Lord” could keep you on a cross you had the ability to take yourself off of… Jesus Christ
Our personal “Yes Lord” has to leave room for Him to touch our goals and place a Standard that has the backing and attention of Heaven. People love what the Crockpot produces, but despise the time needed to create it. We shun the discussion related to years in the making and are smitten by the thought of being an overnight success! The foundation of a thing should have our attention in and through the various stages of the goals coming to fruition.
The Standard should never be seen as overrated or negotiable. We pick and choose where the Standard should take residence. We want a Standard concerning the food that we consume to the regulations for an aircraft to fly. So, the want for Standards did not evolve, it is what we connect its importance to, when it really boils down to it!
We will continue to strike gold when the Standard is respected and adhered to! God has a way of perfecting what concerns us when we carry out His Will. God not only empowers us to carry out His Standard, but He also places a resolve in us to want to take the road less traveled to hit those goals!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your Divine Design Journal some goals that you are working on and next to each one, write out the Standard that you will use to remain uncompromising.
Pray:
Father God, I present my goals to you. I desire your blessing over what my hands produce. May the posture of my heart be in tune with You pointing out any and everything that would try to get me to abort Your Standard simply to acquire Success. My prospering is in glorifying Your Name and recognizing that Your Standard is what I long for. My goals being met will not be my greatest accomplishment; rather it is to do the Will of the One who sent me and to live by Your Standard!
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
“Who all over there?” The question asked and answered with Heaven in mind.
There is a humorous inside joke to this question, but for the purpose of this blog, we are going to bring some serious dialogue to the question. “Who all over there?” Is an idiom used to get intel about the current guests to make a determination as to whether or not the person inquiring should still come. It speaks volumes to the intentionality and deliberate nature in the one asking the question to determine if they are going to subject themselves to being in an environment with people who may or may not share their sentiments or interests.
1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Bad company corrupts good character.” Despite the Bible explicitly sharing that the interactions that one has can be unfruitful and grossly lead to compromise in one’s life. We have the propensity to want to see the best in those whom we desire to remain in contact with. However, their unwillingness to not come out of the world, should be our measure to determine if we can continue to walk together. After all, “How can two walk together unless they agree?” “Who all over there?
Recently, the world hosted an awards show and had a category for the “Best Gospel Song of the Year.” It was a collaboration with Kirk Franklin, known in the Gospel Industry, and a Rapper, named GloRilla. We saw this type of collab before with Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Nikki Minaj. We see people hand over the mic for a duo to touch what should be sacred and life-changing. We are inviting those in, not to teach them about Christ and His Ways; rather, we tell them to bring their gifts and remain in their Old Creation nature. The Message is conveyed that there is no need to live out the life you sing or rap about in this song. “Who all over there?”
This indeed is a questionable love! It is a love that can see someone walk into a music studio; unconsecrated to create a song to present to Saints in Christ, who have walked away from the very lifestyle those Artists represent. Do contracts with these individuals that amass financial gain and notoriety, while these individuals are spiritually bankrupt. “Who has bewitched you?” It is not a light decision to desire to do anything that is connected to the Name of God. “Who all over there?”
These people are so far removed from the Cost to Walk with Christ that they can put out a “Gospel song” and in the same year, go back to business as usual with their original lyrical content. And it seems like their albums are twice the level of vulgarity and expression. We even allow repeat DUI offenders to belt out songs in the church; who run regular social media lives calling out the various Gospel Singers who have tried to correct and openly using profane language and down-playing the effects her choices has on the Body of Christ. “Who all over there?”
It is impossible for the world to define and represent the Gospel. The onus is not on the world or Award Shows that represent the world to portray Gospel Music correctly. No other music transforms, corrects, and draws to Christ like Gospel Music. When they yoke with these individuals, People who did not follow the Artists have now been given access to them because of Gospel Singers and Producers who did not love them enough to tell them to come out the world first before going into the booth.
During the recent Award Show, quite a few received Icon Awards, and it was the accepted mixture that we witnessed. They thank their god and then go back to using profanity and feeding their lower nature. Franklin drove home a Message about not being perfect and what people have seen concerning his life. A room full of darkness needed someone who truly understood, “Who was all over there!” A moment desperately needing a transformative encounter with the Lord, was met by several who basically said, “You can have both- God and the World!” Those who have had to walk away; obey God beyond what their flesh desired; and embraced becoming a New Creature, know all too well…The only way to have both is to change the capital to lower case! You can absolutely have “god and the World!”
“Who all over there?” When one is on assignment for real and you are not looking for photo ops and celebrity sighting moments- you know that if God allows your paths to cross, it has Heaven and eternity in mind! Time is drawing nearer and we cannot afford to walk in unaware of who truly crept in! The Enemy has never come in to collab- it has and will always be about infiltrating to take over! “Choose this day who you will serve.”
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your journal passages of scripture where God highlights occurrences of those who did not handle His Glory appropriately. What were His sentiments concerning the profane?
Pray:
Father God, may the fear return to your people concerning You. You are a consuming fire. You are a God who demands and deserves total surrender. Accepting your endowment of grace has allowed us to boldly walk away from the world. The stronghold that was once there, can no longer hold me into bondage to my fleshly desires. I shall be who you have called me to be; I shall confidently do what you have called me to do; and I shall remain mindful of the harvest that is plenteous. Let me be a laborer who has a burden to win the Lost. May a life poured out be a most precious account of the provision you made to Save me. A great cost was made by your only begotten Son! May I not be guilty of trampling on grace. An undeserved gift; yet the most profound opening of the Gift of Salvation transformed me and gave me new life! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment! 🖊️
If the Path is Narrow…Do your Pathway Partners keep you on the Straight & Narrow?
There was a very popular song back in the day that said, “Friends, how many of us have them?” We can make having friends the equivalent of what Facebook calls them, when a true friend is far beyond liking pictures and posts. How quickly are we to place people in categories whereby the essence of the connection has not truly been tried and tested?
The beauty of solid friendships are rich in sacrifice, encouragement, & edification. It is this woven encounter of experiences that allow the two to grow and impact one another. The connect can range from childhood friends to co-workers to church family. They can be enlightening and light-hearted in nature.
Let us examine a type of connection between individuals who keep eternity in mind. A Pathway Partner has such a profound impact on one’s life. They do not sign off on everything. They allow the discernment of God to guide them in their agreement or rejection of a thing. It is a highly respected role. This individual is entrusted with a part of you remaining on the narrow path.
Do we give people the license to check us when we go left? Can someone who has shown their allegiance tell you that you are wrong? Is their position as a Pathway Partner questioned when they do not agree with everything that you want to do? Can they remind you of the promises that you made to God?
A Pathway Partner is truly a blessing from God! I cannot express it enough what their trench work produces. There is not only the commitment to seeing you accomplish what God intended through you, but they also have an enthusiasm to encourage through the journey.
Have you earnestly prayed for a Pathway Partner? Have you ever sat with that individual to review the plan of God concerning one another’s lives? Accountability is also a gift. We have to start to look at the opportunities God gives us to remain faithful!
The narrow path is less-traveled. It will decrease your circle, but it is solid. There is a comfort in knowing you are connecting with those who also have a desire to live according to the Standard of God. It is about the growth that is developed on that narrow path! Here’s to the amazing role of those who assist in getting you to the finish line!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work: Jot down in your Divine Design Journal your thoughts concerning what the characteristics of a Pathway Partner are and what you see in the ones whom you have connected with display.
Pray: Say a prayer concerning God connecting you with those who will help you remain on the narrow path.
“Can God Rearrange Your Guest List?”
Planning an affair has its own built in stressors. However, there is a Must Do that can either leave one excited for the opportunity to invite those whom will share in the celebration or overwhelm as the Guest List is created. Let’s say it is the former. There is this exhilaration for thinking of each individual who you penned. In your mind, you have already scanned the room and you see the people who walked with you through many stages of your life.
The invitations to your life go out and the Guest List you wrote in permanent marker now becomes an erasable marker. Your image of the room is not the same. What happened to the ones who you laughed, cried, and built with- what was so vivid is now faint?
We have a propensity to sometimes kick and drag to get the people we think are supposed to be present there. We simply cannot imagine people who were with us for monumental milestones not being there for the next!
As the title says, “Can God Rearrange Your Guest List?” Can God begin to remove the name cards from the tables of our hearts that we assumed would be there? Can He start checking Regret instead of RSVP on the invitation? Does He have authority to revise the entire Guest List and take it from 100 to 10?
There are so many sober moments to a “Yes Lord!” You can think it means so many other things! We can look at His Will from the vantage point, as a sea of blue, and all the while concerning what He is doing in your life is from the location of an array of green on land. That visual is meant to drive home on the point of how desperately we need to know Him and hear His Voice concerning a matter.
If He did it for years for you on the seas and then He moves the assignment to the land- Will our heart and soul still say yes? There were people on the Guest List that moved with great efficiency and wisdom concerning the great blue seas, but when God begins to bring you onto land- for some on the Guest List, they became a fish out of water. Despite that glaring reality, we still desperately try to keep them on the Guest List!
I think about the roles and responsibilities of those in the military. The training that is conducted is significantly connected to the elements they will be subjected to for the task at hand. I have a relative who is a Commanding Officer in the Navy, and one of the requirements for him to be enlisted was a swimming drill. What would have left many off of the Guest List for being a Naval Officer was the fact that he could not swim! However, because he understood what was needed for sea, he jumped in the water. What could have been a demising act became one of his greatest triumphs, that even allowed him to make history with the ranking he ended with in the Navy!
As you peruse the Guest List, are there individuals who are making the necessary arrangements for an appearance? How important is it for them to be aware of the expectations that God has on your life? Matthew 22 speaks of the parable of the Wedding Banquet. A man who was permitted to come; yet his attire did not take into account what he was invited to divinely participate in! The Guest List is not to be assumed indefinitely. There may be seasons where God allows the Guest List to have major revisions and there may even be some permanent removals. Nevertheless, Thank Him for ordering your steps and for the time He allowed your paths to cross.
When was the last time we even prayed, “Father God, the people to the left and right of me, are they a part of what You are doing in this Season concerning my life? If they are not, do not allow me to permanently pen in who you have removed from the Guest List!”
Divine Work & Pray:
WORK:
Jot down in your Divine Design Journal your feelings concerning God changing the Guest List of your life. Have you written in permanent marker people who Heaven has removed their names from this Season in your life or even permanently?
PRAY:
Father God, Thank you for your provision and patience. I am not always responding in a way that gives you glory in moments of not understanding Your Will. Nevertheless, my prayer is for it to be fulfilled. You have never failed nor forsaken me. And that calls for a proper response to your revisions and rearranging. May the Guest List of my life be filled with those who understand the hour and recognize that we have been enlisted into your Army, for such a time as this! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️
“Pull us through, God!”
The making of this 67th Blog came through surprise, astonishment, trepidation, questions, and many tears! The kind of tears that start off silent and roll down your face in a unsynchronized manner. They then turn to the avalanche of tears that go to you being unable to be heard because your speech is being overtaken by weeping! If you have been riding with the Divine Design Blog, you already know, I love you too much to leave you there, because God has never ever left me there!
Overall, I am a private person concerning certain things. In a season of writing, the Lord also expressed that I would be sharing more and He was going to get to why I was private. His uprooting has been met with both growth pains and understanding. My Method of Operation has always been to make sure I was in a position to be there for others and not need it to be regularly reciprocated, because I was going to be alright.
I will never ever forget in 2009 when I was hospitalized for a blood clot, and the nurse said I was being admitted because they found a Deep Vein Thrombosis in my leg, the news of the long words was not what got me, it was her saying I would have to be hospitalized! I looked over to my Mom and said as I cried, “I don’t go to the hospital, I go to see people in the hospital!” Between the pride and disbelief came a huge sobering moment that turned to a great place of reflection! You see, I was not in right standings with God during that time! I was heavily into a worldly relationship and was not honoring God with my body! And here God goes, PULLING ME THROUGH!
There were people before me who were diagnosed with blood clots and were not discharged from the hospital! Even being home, God showed me how much mercy He had given me! My home health Nurse would have to take my specimens to the lab immediately after coming to my home because my blood was clotting so quickly! And here God goes, PULLING ME THROUGH!
Fast forwarding the story to the most recent of the Lord once again pulling me through! My loved one had to have a surgery that unbeknownst to me was a lot more serious than what was conveyed! I walked in to news that shook my core, but did not dissolve my knowledge base of who God is and continues to be in my life!
I remember going to the car, after giving my mom a hug and kiss, and the Anesthesiologist saying I would have to leave as they prepared to take her to surgery! I went to the car, because we had such an early start. I turned on the satellite station in the car to Gospel of course; reclined the chair and dozed off. Only to be awakened by the song, “Pull Us Through.” It was beyond interesting because the radio had been playing, but I vividly remember being brought out of my sleep by the words, “Somebody’s crying Lord, wipe the tears from their eyes. If we ever needed you before…God, we need you right now…PULL US THROUGH!” It literally caused me to sit up, because it was such an amplified sound with the words! What was this song saying to my Spirit? I will later share the totality of the Gift of the phrase, PULL US THOUGH, LORD!
My Mom successfully made it through the surgery! I Praise God with my whole heart concerning the outcome! However, I do not bring you this statement, “Pull us through, Lord” from that vantage point! As I sat outside because I could no longer bear being in the Waiting Room hearing them call families that came in with us at 5:30 AM being called to see their loved ones and hearing Code Blues on the intercom, with tears streaming and thoughts forming, I had to go sit outside of the hospital! Literally, watching families get in their cars and leave, who had also had surgery! I began to dwell on words spoken over my life; scriptures that helped to suture up the gaping holes that were forming in my heart, and becoming a Gospel Disc Jockey curbside at Cleveland Hospital! With tears streaming, I still knew God had been present and He had not left me without ammo, as mind weapons were forming!
You see, PULL US THROUGH, LORD works for all occasions! If the hospital had called me in to tell me that my loved one did not make it, God would not have left me in a state not to be able to be pulled through tragedy, setbacks, &/or disappointments! He is still on the Throne and still doing a complete work! God pulling us through has to be bigger than any news we can ever get because it is what keeps Him on the Throne and having authority over our lives!
The running joke is how much of a cry baby that I am! No lies detected, but those tears will not hinder me from ultimately placing my eyes on Him! When I loss my dad, being a daddy’s girl, and when I loss my grandma, ‘shonuf’ being a grandma girlie, there was a Vow that I made to God, because in both those moments, as my heart was shattering into millions of pieces; He did not allow it to bleed out! And for that alone…I owe Him!
Whatever is before you, Divine Design Blog Family, cement it in your heart that He will Pull you through! He will eventually wipe the tears from your eyes! There is a worship that comes out of you that is produced not by everything you praying being the outcome, but by keeping a Sovereign God in His rightful place in your heart! He will even send people to lock arms with you in prayer, so that when it is all said and done…Your hands will be extended because He pulled you through it all! Jesus!!!
Divine Work & Pray:
Work:
Jot down in your Divine Design Journal what God has already pulled you through. The Enemy wants you to forget all the Acts of God keeping you!
Pray:
Father God, there are so many glorious moments with you. Not just when prayers are answered in the way that we want, but also when we see you lovingly hold us through the revealing of your Will. Life has so many ebbs and flows, but your consistency in our lives is unparalleled! The essence of your care is magnified by how you make us well and whole. You are our Burden Bearer, Heavy Load Sharer, and Secret Place. We will put our hearts in remembrance of your faithfulness! Forever grateful for how You pull us through! In Jesus’ Name. Amen!
To fully embrace the DD Blog Experience, Head over to Amazon for the Divine Design by JQ Journal, to accompany your Power of the Pen Moment. 🖊️