Not So Quick!

In my meditation time this week I came across a scripture that was familiar to me, but God showed me a different side of it. This new perspective certainly pushed me back on my heels a bit.

 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.  (James 1:18-21/NLT)

I've often experienced verse 18 being used to address how we interact with each other.  Teaching us that when we are working to manage our relationships with each other we should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. However, upon this particular reading of the scripture, God turned it towards my personal relationship with Him. I began to hear the following questions . . .  Have you done this in our relationship? Are you quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry when I speak to you?

Honestly, this was a hard moment for me. It was a moment that layers were pulled back and I was exposed. Because being in this place with the Father is not unfamiliar to me, I knew exeactly what God was trying to accomplish in this moment. God was challenging me to GROW. He wanted me to see myself and know that yes there have been times that I didn't listen, that I interrupted His voice with my own, and that I've even gotten angry with God because of His instructions. And because He has me writing this blog on the topic, I know that I'm not the only one.

Beyond having this reflective moment of evaluating my own reactions to God's voice and instructions, He also tied in the later part of verse 21. He made sure that I understood that not only was I to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry, but I had to be sure that I was humbly accepting the word He already planted in my heart. There are some things that God has already spoken that I must continually humbly accept, because that very word has the power to save my soul. There are some things that I already know to be true that I have to keep at the forefront of my mind and make sure that I'm being consistently obedient to observe. And again, I know I'm not alone.

I pray that my transparency today allows you to see this scripture in a new light for your own life. That it causes you to be honest with the Father and sparks radical change in your relationship with Him. I pray that today begins a new journey for you in your walk with Christ, one that is open, honest, receptive, and fiercely obedient. May you reap all the benefits of your obedience in this season.

The Edge of Life

This past fall I had the opportunity to be part of an amazing project.  This project was lead by an even more amazing Woman of God who I really respect, love and cherish. As part of this project I lent my voice to the topic - "The Edge of Life". Given that today is the day that the relaunch of the Rebirth Arts blog is happening and it also happens to be my birthday . . . I figured it is only fitting that the first post be on this topic.

Each and every one of us has a destiny. And our hearts and spirits are constantly longing to experience and manifest that destiny daily. However, more often than not, we find ourselves standing at the edge of life. Standing at the very point where we can either turn back and be complacent or leap and experience all the joy, peace, and freedom that our loving Father has afforded us. We stand at that edge contemplating our fears and at the same time encouraging others to leap to their destinies. We push so hard for others at times that we tend to lose focus on the very thing that we have a heart's desire to accomplish.

Throughout my life, I can remember very distinctly moments where I found myself at the edge of life. And if I'm really honest, I found myself to be anxious, afraid, uncertain, and at times even paralyzed. But I also remember realizing in those moments, when I found myself to be a little less than the faith-filled Christian that I purported to be, that I wasn't looking to the Father to guide, help, assist, provide, cover, protect . . . and the list could go on. I was only looking at my own ability, resources, connections, bank accounts, etc. However I'm thankful that somehow, even in my moments of awkward nervousness, the little faith I had left rose up inside of me and literally pushed me over the edge.  I'm grateful that I had sense enough to trust the promptings of the Holy Spirit in my life and let go and let God take over.

Now don't get me wrong, I still have moments where fear tries to paralyze me and keep me from pushing hard after my destiny. But what I've come to know and understand is that fear can only try to stop me. As long as I trust God and I'm obedient to move when He says move, I know I will always find victory on the other side of fear. And I want you to know that the same is true for you.  If you can muster up enough courage to jump off the edge of life, to stop waiting for the perfect moment, and reach just a little bit further than where you are comfortable, you'll find a passion that will burn so deeply within you that it will fuel you even in the face of fear.

Know that there are no perfect moments. The timing will never be just right, the finances won't accumulate quick enough, and the stars will always be slightly out of alignment. All we have is NOW. So why not leap. Why not take God at His word. Why not allow God to prove that His promises are true in your life, for all those watching. Why not be on the receiving end of God's goodness, love, mercy, grace, abundance, favour, and miracles. God is waiting for you. He is waiting for you to push past your fear and take the first step. He is waiting for your mustard seed of faith to peak through the fog of your thoughts, so that He can set in motion your next divine appointment.

So know that you aren't standing alone at the edge of life, but be encouraged not to stay there. I pray that you will put your hand in God's hand, throw your head back, and leap off the edge. That you will embrace God's thoughts towards you, knowing it is ok for you to have everything God has promised you. And I pray that as you venture out into the unknown that you will find everything that your spirit has been searching for.

If It Is All Stripped Away

I've recently had the thought . . . .

What if "it" was all stripped away?

What do I mean by "it" you might ask, and I would respond . . . . 

"It" = your roles, jobs, titles, accomplishments, accolades, etc. For example, what if you were no longer referred to or carried the title of Pastor, Elder, Overseer, Vice President, Teacher, Manger, Mentor, etc. Who would you be without the "title"?

As God challenged me to think about this, I began to reflect and ask myself . . . At the end of the day what do I want to be known for? What are the things that I want the people who I interact with to remember me for when I'm no longer serving in the "position" that they have seen me in.

I know that at the heart of who I am  . . . I love God,  I'm a worshiper, and I'm a lover of God's people. When it is all said and done I want people to remember me more for how I made them feel, how I encouraged them, how I dared them to be more than their present circumstances, and how I challenged them to keep seeking after God.  I want them to know me by the love of Christ that pours out of my pores for them.

We've heard it time and time again that . . . only what you do for Christ will last.  So, why don't we focus more on the assignment that God has given us to help, nurture, encourage, and love His people? I'm not saying that I always get it right, but I'm determined to be more and more like Christ as I continue this journey with Him.

The love of God is powerful. Most often it is only the love of God that is able to reach someone who is still seeking to fill the void within, which only God can fill. Be determined to exude the love of God through everything you do.  Desire to be known more for the love that you share than the title you hold.

Empowering the Next Generation

The Rebirth Arts team had the esteemed pleasure and opportunity to minister at the Girls with Purpose & Destiny Empowerment Conference this past weekend, hosted by Dale City Christian Church in Woodbridge, VA.

My team and I give God ALL the glory for this divine appointment and we cannot say thank you enough to Bishop Patrick Thomas, First Lady Cassandra Thomas, Deaconess Lashon Harris, the leaders of the D.I.V.A. Ministry, as well as all of those who worked behind the scenes for all of the honor and hospitality they showed us this weekend.

The conference was an amazing experience not only for the young ladies in attendance, but for the Rebirth Arts team as well.  Not only did I have the honor of ministering in dance, but I also had the opportunity to facilitate a workshop entitled - "My Body, My Temple: Healthy Eating and Healthy Living".  

With this post, I just wanted to share a few short clips with you from the workshop.  I pray that the Lord will speak to you through these moments in ministry . . . 

Just click the links below: 

God Has a Plan

God Desires to Bless You

Breakthrough . . .

We all get to points in the journey of life that things seem just a little more difficult than others.  In those times I often reflect on the season which God has me in.  In those times of reflection, I realize that often the difficulties that I'm experiencing are associated with the pressure that is needed to breakthrough to the next level in the journey.

I think the pressure we experience is necessary in our lives to get us to face the reality (sometimes even the hard reality) that things have to and are about to change.  Just reflect for a moment . . . . if it had not been for the pressure you've experienced along the way would you have. . . .

• Changed Jobs or Career Paths
• Went Back to School to Pursue that Degree
• Ended that Relationship
• Decided to Follow Your Dream Instead of the Money
• Decided to Begin/Strengthen/Deepen Your Relationship with God

The pressure is necessary to get us to the next step, level, and dimension of the journey that God desires for us.  So when things seem to get tight, uncomfortable, and downright ridiculous, know that you are just on the verge of a breakthrough.  You are on the verge of a moment in your life that will redefine you, reestablish you, and propel you into your destiny.

A lot of things in life are about one's perspective.  Choose the positive perspective in the difficult times.  When you feel the pressure coming on, glorify and worship God for all He has already done and all He is about to break loose in your life. Focus on His ability and not your inability, for with Him you can withstand the pressure that you are experiencing.

God is AMAZING!!! And I'm thankful for the moments in my life where He allowed the outward pressures to push me to greater inner depths with Him.  But I know that in this season . . . . it's time for another BREAKTHROUGH . . . 

It's Hard!!!

Even the best of us at different points in our Christian walk have turned to God and asked … "Why is this so hard? What am I doing wrong? Did I not hear you? Did I miss the shift?" Yes, even me! 

In response, God answered … "The Fight is hard, because the Call is great."

When you are called by God, consecrated, and set apart for His use … that assignment doesn't come easy. Over the years I've heard my spiritual leaders say many times, "there is a price for the anointing." There has to be a certain level of opposition to what you are called to do, or the enemy is not doing his job. 

Now, don't get me wrong … I'm not talking about toiling and striving in the flesh to try to get something accomplished. If you find yourself in a position where you are working so hard to get something done in your own strength, this is a time to seek God and reevaluate what you are working towards.  

But when you know you are clearly on a spiritual assignment, you should expect there to be a certain level of spiritual warfare. You will have to mount up in God's strength, that He so generously supplies, and put on the full armor of God so that you can make it through the hard sections of the journey. There is overwhelming victory on the other side. 

Based on your past victories, your assignments for God will increase in their level of spiritual authority. As this takes place, the spiritual warfare will also change and increase. But do not be afraid. You've already overcome so much and come so far. Know you have divine back-up at all times and that God is aligning those that are specifically assigned to assist you along the way.  Keep pressing forward and remember this message of The Lord … 

"The Fight is hard, because the Call is great."

The Journey

As we are now on the other side of our first Open House, I took a little time off to reflect on the journey of Rebirth, from the first leap a faith to the first Open House. God has done so much in a short amount of time and we are truly excited about what these "firsts" have put into motion.

Rebirth Arts was founded in 2011 and it's hard to believe that it has been three years since I stepped out on faith with God and trusted that He would bring to pass all the things He had been speaking to me and giving me visions about.  

I'm thankful for our very first client who pushed me out there with God and trusted me to birth choreography for them that allowed their dance ministry to launch into a new dimension that brought healing and restoration to their dancers. There are not enough words to express my thankfulness for them pulling out of me what God had destined to be expressed. 

As time progressed, I took another leap …… trusting God for students to teach in our studio classes. We started with one little Sweet Pea, who was just about 1.5 years old at the time.  By the end of our 2014 Summer Session … God increased us to 10 Sweet Peas and Minis (ages 3 to 5), as well as pre-teens, teenagers, and adults. 

Along with more students came staff members, an intern, and 7 dancers for the Rebirth Arts Dance Company. And as God increased the numbers, of course there came more assignments … speaking engagements, workshops, magazine interviews, photo shoots, and ministry engagements. 

I'm humbled and grateful for the journey to-date; however, I'm more excited about what God is going to do.  This is truly just the beginning and I'm expecting great, wondrous, overwhelming favor and miracles in the future for Rebirth Arts and all those who decide to Join The Movement with us!

So as I contemplate the next dive into the deep with God, I pray that you enjoy a few digital moments captured from our 2014 Summer Open House (all photo credits to David Warren).

A Life Well Spent

I want to live a life well spent . . . 

You may say . . . well that is a little bit of a depressing view of life, but I challenge your thinking today. Life is not a guarantee and every moment is extremely precious.  God gives us 86,400 seconds every day and not one of them can we relive again. 

Time is our currency on Earth. Once it is spent, it only returns to us as an investment of life experiences and memories.  Only you can determine what your return will be.  Will it be reflections of moments with those you love, of stress and worry, or of heart stirring impacts of ministry?

When I look back over my life . . . let's say in a year . . . I want to be able to report to God that I effectively used the 8,766 hours He gave me to accomplish all that He set out for me to do.  I don't want to look back and think that there was one minute that I wasted being fearful, bitter, stuck, or having a pity party. I don't want to have lived a life of sound bites, snapshots, and disjointed memories. I want to look back and see that I walked with God throughout each of those hours, that my eyes, ears and heart were open to His voice and His leading, and that even in the hard moments of life, I held on strong to my faith.

Life is to be cherished.  I want to encourage you today to "spend" your life seeking after God and striving to walk out the plans that He has for your life (Jeremiah 29:11).  I promise you that the    "mustard seed" amount of effort and faith that you put forward, chasing after God and His righteousness, will return to you a lifetime of experiences and memories that you could have never imagined.

Heart of a Warrior

                              

Can you just imagine that this is what the Angels of Heaven's Army look like?! 

I'm thankful to serve such a Mighty God that sends us such vigilant and equipped help in the spirit realm. But as with many things of God, that's not the end of the help that He sends. 

I'm also thankful that God made a way for the Holy Spirit to be our  … "Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby)" and that He will remain with us forever (John 14:16 AMP). In this sense God has equipped us with the spiritual gift that we need to walk out our physical lives without the fear of being defeated.

We know … "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV). But at times we let the fear of failure, rejection, disappointment . . . you name it . . . get the best of us and keep us from pressing forward into our God given identities.

God desires for us to go forward against all odds with the heart of a warrior. The heart of a warrior is one that has no thought of shrinking back in the face off adversity, but charges forward fearlessly shouting . . . . LET'S GO!!!  The warrior is one who will stand on the front lines and not flinch as the enemy is approaching, knowing that the enemy cannot prevail.  The warrior will stand tall, head held high, and shoulders squared knowing . . . "greater is he that is in [me], than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4 KJV).  The warrior knows that He has divine backup and therefore all that he sets his heart and mind to do can be accomplished in Christ Jesus.

I want to encourage you today . . . . put on your armor; adopt the heart of a warrior; and don't shrink back letting the enemy devour territory in your life, but charge forward . . . pursuing, advancing, and taking back everything that the enemy thought he had stolen from you!!!

Surrender!

Surrender is defined as … 

1. to yield (something) to the possession or power of another;deliver up possession of on
   demand or under duress: to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods
   to the police.
2. to give (oneself) up, as to the police.
3. to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.: He surrendered himself to a life of hardship.
4. to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).
5. to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.
6. to give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield.

Oftentimes the picture we have of surrender is one of giving up. It is at the point where we are "at the end of our ropes". A place of being battered, bruised, and unable to move forward any further. That point in the journey where we've fought the fight of life, out of our own strength, and rationalize that victory is unattainable. 

However, when your surrender is to God, it supplies immense power and strength. It is exactly opposite of what the world would have us to believe surrender is about. Surrendering to God is about laying down your personal will and saying … "God I take on your will for my life and all that you desire for me to accomplish to glorify your name". 

We have the ultimate example of surrender in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Do you really understand how much of God's unlimited, sovereign, and unstoppable power was released when Christ settled in His heart to do the will of the Father? Salvation, healing, deliverance, restoration, peace, love, joy, glory … and the list could go on. The beautiful thing is that by this one act, God allowed His very Spirit to be released into the Earth to help us make the same decision … to surrender to the will of God Almighty.

I have to make a very bold statement ……God doesn't just want your gift, He wants your life! He wants you to raise your white flag of surrender. Not because you are giving up, but because you recognize that you need God's supernatural power to work in your life. When we choose to surrender, God grants us access to everything that Heaven can supply. When we surrender our gifts and our lives to God, what He can do through us is limitless. 

Make the choice today to surrender and raise your white flag of victory. Never see surrendering as defeat ever again. 

Where is the Oil?

As I sat watching a popular reality t.v. show with my beautiful Mom, this statement was made. . . "Where is the Oil?" and it struck my spirit, so here goes . . . . . 

So . . . the funny thing is . . . as Believers, often times when someone calls out "Where is the Oil?" our first reaction is to go looking for the physical anointing oil.  However, in this instance, the search for the oil is one of a spiritual outpouring that is being sought.  It is the search for that intangible deposit of the anointing of God in a person's life and the release of that anointing as they go forward in ministry.

This type of oil can only be obtained by spending time in the presence of the King of Kings, living one's life striving for the holiness that is required for a pure anointing to rest on you, surrendering and consecrating your gift for God's use, and understanding how to step out of the disguise of performance into true ministry.

Don't get me wrong, the physical oil is necessary, but it should not be a substitute for the spiritual oil. The physical oil should be a representation and a reminder, to those who anoint themselves with it, of what God has already done in those private moments of our lives.

When you can stand operating out of the purity of your ministry gift, understanding the purpose of that gift, understanding how God can use it and move through you to minister to others, and desiring nothing more than to give God glory with your gift . . . . at that very moment, you will begin to pour out the spiritual oil (anointing) that's on your life.  At that moment, people will be able to see the conviction in your heart and know that you truly believe what you are singing about.  At that moment the words of the song that you interpret through dance become alive and have a spiritual impact on those who witness the ministry.

Know that God can use your artistic gift, whatever it might be, to minister to His people.  He can use your gift to deliver every spiritual gift . . . salvation, healing, deliverance, restoration, peace, love, etc. to those who have open hearts to receive you as you flow under the anointing of God that's on your life.  

Please be encouraged today to not take the importance of the spiritual oil for granted. It is great to have a talent and to perfect and disciple that talent, but ooooh how much greater is it to have the anointing of God on your life so that your talent then becomes ministry.

Popular vs. Prophetic

As ministers of the arts, we all come to the crossroads of having to make the decision to either follow the path of being POPULAR or PROPHETIC

When selecting the songs to sing for morning worship, when pondering the lyrics to the melody you are writing, when determining which song to dance to for the next special selection, when thinking about the next priceless moment you want to capture on canvas, or when considering the next character you are going to portray on stage you will have to decide in that moment -- "Do I want to be popular or do I want be prophetic?"

Popular: The road to being popular or seeking popularity is one that seeks after the approval of man.  It is the way of looking to others to validate you and celebrate you to find your worth. It is the way of doing things in your own strength and trying to please man, so that your efforts and striving gets you noticed and promoted.  In this place, you think that it is your connections, talents, and abilities that can get you to the top, when in reality, God has a more excellent way for you to travel to your wealthy place.  Trying to be popular takes a stance of "I got to grind" versus resting in God as you walk out the plan He has for your life.

Prophetic: The road to the prophetic or to operate in and declare the prophetic is to seek after God's approval alone.  It is the way of looking only to God to validate you, celebrate you, and raise you up in your ministry.  In the realm of being prophetic you are only looking to be moved by the Spirit of God and say and do only what the Spirit of God has inspired within you.  The way of the prophetic is to rely on the strength of God to accomplish anything that you set your hand to do and when you've been given success, the only thought that you have is to give God glory. Operating in the prophetic realm requires a posture of total surrender.

I want to encourage you with this post to seek after God in your ministry of the arts.  Ask God . . . "What is it that you want to say through me?" Settle in yourself that you want to only say what God says, go only where He tells you to go, and do only what He tells you to do.  As you endeavor to surrender more of yourself and your ministry to God, for His use, I promise you that you will start to experience growth, greater anointing, and more miraculous manifestations of God's glory.

The Realm of Impossible

Over the past several weeks I've been feeling this shift in my spirit into the realm of impossible. You may ask … "What are you talking about?" … well let me explain. 

The realm of impossible is that place where all that you've dreamed about accomplishing feels a little out of your reach, but you determine within yourself that you are just going to step out on faith with God, knowing that with God all things are possible. So stepping over into the realm of impossible takes faith, courage, determination, and a desire to become all that God has destined you to be, without backing down.

Don't get it twisted … opposition will come. There will be challenges and situations to deal with in stepping out to accomplish all that you are dreaming of, but in this place of the "impossible" your faith in God has to be unshakable so that you can continue to move forward in spite of any opposition that might come. You have to believe without a shadow of a doubt that God is the only one that can manifest impossible things and you trust Him to do that in your life.

As I continue to walk out this dream of Rebirth Arts, renewing my mind with the word of God is a key part of the process.  Over the last week or so the Holy Spirit has been directly me back constantly to the Amplified version of Philippians 4:13:  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].  I know this is just God's way of saying . . . . Trust me, I've got your back!

My prayer is that by sharing this with you, that it encourages you to believe that God can do all that He has promised to you and given you a desire for in your heart.  I hope that it gives you the push in your spirit to just . . . . jump all the way in with God.

So . . . . when you see me . . . . know that I've stepped over into the realm of impossible and I'm going after all that God has in store for me and Rebirth Arts.

A Grateful Heart

As I sat catching up with one of my sisters-in-Christ about her recent missions trip to Africa, I could not help but to begin to think how truly blessed we are and also about how many things we often unknowingly take for granted.

I began to think on some of the things that she shared:

• What if I had to walk for miles without shoes …
  
• What if I couldn't go to school because I lived in an area where no one wanted to come and teach …
  
• What if my family was so poor that they couldn't afford any of the basic necessities to sustain life (housing, food, water, clothing, etc.) …
  
• What if the only life I knew was one where I grew up in an orphanage, never truly becoming familiar with the touch of another human …

As a sat there becoming overwhelmed with God's love and grace I could not help but to think that I need to take the time be more aware and more grateful for all that God has blessed me with in my life, even the little things. My reflection began to put a lot of things in perspective.  It confirmed for me that the situations and challenges that we might face in life, although they may be difficult, could be even more difficult, challenging, and even life threatening.

I don't want to take for grated that I have a safe and secure place to rest my head; that there is running water when I turn the handle on the faucet; that God provides the financial means for me to be able to sustain life . . . . this list could go on and on.

I just want to encourage you with this post to take a few moments of your busy day to reflect and express your thankfulness to God about the "little things".  As you reflect, think that your "little things" could be something very big to someone else who has to live with out it.

                             

A Lifestyle of Worship

"Worship Cannot be Rehearsed" ~ Co-Pastor Elena Robertson

Worship is truly about the position of our hearts toward God and not about the outward displays that we typically associate with worship.  True worship is birthed out of your relationship with God and the steps that we've taken to truly surrender ourselves to be lead by the Spirit of God.  When we truly surrender to God and His plans for our lives, worship then becomes a lifestyle.

When worship becomes just the way that we operate on a daily basis, we will begin to notice greater displays of the "fruits of the Spirit" as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) being manifested in our lives.  The deeper we take our relationship with God and desire to manifest the "fruits of the Spirit" the deeper our worship unto God will become.  

As we deepen our relationship with God, we become more and more aware of His free gift of grace and understand all the more how God steps in and makes up the difference for us in so many areas of our lives. As we gain this revelation, we can lift our hands in surrender and cry out to God in worship, because we are reminded of just how good God has been and all the things He has brought us through, shielded us from, and favored us with.

I encourage you today to take your relationship with God and your worship unto God to the next level. There is more that God desires to pour out upon your life; however, He is looking for those who want more of Him above all else.  These are the true worshipers (John 4:23-24 NLT).

Did I Go Left?

Many times in our walk with God we ask the question … Did I go left, when I should have gone right? At the heart of this question is the desire to know that we are operating in the will of God.

Rebirth Arts is one of the largest faith walks I've had the honor of taking with God to this point in my life. I find myself often in prayer seeking direction from God, by way of the Holy Spirit, to confirm that the decisions we make, the engagements we accept, the classes and workshops we offer, the staff we bring on board, etc. are in the will of God and what He desires for Rebirth Arts.  My hearts desire is to truly fulfill God's vision and do it with the very best of my ability, so that God can then do the supernatural. 

Even in my seeking, I've also found that there are just some steps that you have to take in faith, trusting God and knowing that He will meet you on the other side and won't let you fall. In those moments of truly stepping out on faith, I've experienced God's overwhelming presence as His way of confirming -- yes, you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

So, be encouraged, at those times in your life when you begin to question, did I go left and I should have gone right .… wait on the presence of God and the peace of God to comfort you and you will know without a doubt that you are exactly where God wants you to be.  Strive to dwell in His peace and all else will fall into place.  God has great plans for your life.  Continue to seek Him and trust His directions.

Every Moment …

It's truly time that we realize that God desires to be involved in every moment of our lives. There is nothing too small for which God is not concerned, when it comes to your life. Know that every joy, pain, disappointment, surprise, heartache, victory, deliverance, healing … God is in the midst of it. There is nothing about your life that takes God by surprise. There is nothing in your life that God didn't first allow. You may ask, why did God allow that heartache or disappointment to come. I would in return reply with a question … Are you still standing? God works everything and I mean everything for our good. If you are honest with yourself, I think you would have to admit that everything that has been a challenge in your life ending up being something that taught you a lesson, helped you to mature, and helped you come to the revelation that God truly designed you to be an overcomer.

So take this as a bit of encouragement … YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER! There is nothing that you cannot withstand when you do it with God by your side. When we face challenges, they should press us in closer to God. By pressing in closer to God, we grow in our faith and our relationships with Him. Don't grow weary, keeping pressing forward in God!

I had the honor of ministering at a 50th birthday celebration for a mighty Woman of God. The song selection was "Every Moment" by Forever Jones. If you have not heard this song, I urge you to look it up and take a few moments to listen to the lyrics. I know that it will be a blessing to you, just as it was to me.  I wanted to share this ministry experience with you, so check out this video.

Be Blessed!!

 

 

Stir Up the Gift . . .

The First Speaking Engagement

We were so truly blessed to be able to participate and facilitate a session at the In The Key of David - One Day Retreat with the theme of "Stir up The Gift" on Saturday - July 13, 2013.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit showed up to speak to the people of God and to show His power.  It was truly a supernatural experience that cannot be put into words.

In preparing for this engagement, I kept seeking God on what He wanted me to say and what He wanted me to teach.  Over a period of time God continued to drop things in my spirit to speak on, but I didn't receive any dance movements or choreography to teach.  As the days grew closer and closer, I kept checking in with God to see if the movement/choreography would come.  As I stood before the group that day I confessed the choreography never came.  So I went forth speaking on the things that the Lord had laid on my heart to share.  The topics included what it means to worship God, the call of the Levite (FYI: a blog post will be coming on this soon), and the things that are hindering us from going to the next level with God in our gifting and ministries.

Here are a few pictures from the event.  Once we have a chance to edit some of the video we will post it to our YouTube channel.

 


The next day the following questions settled in my spirit . . . .

We often cry out to God saying . . . "Stir up the Gift!".  But what is He really stirring up?  Have we allowed Him to deposit enough of His Spirit and His desires in us that when we are stirred what flows out is more of Him and less of us?

As ministers of the arts (i.e. dance, mime, music, voice, acting, art, etc.) we have to understand that it is critical for us to surrender our gifts and all that we are to God, so that He can develop us into the Men and Women of God that He desires for us to be.  We can no longer afford to hold anything back from God.  We need to make ourselves available for His use, at His direction.

I would challenge anyone that is reading this post, even if you are not a minister of the arts, to take a moment to reflect on those things that the Holy Spirit has been nudging you to do in order to take your walk with God and your ministry to the next level.  Once you've done that, purpose in your heart to accomplish those things, so that your life and your ministry can give God greater glory!