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

The Spirit of Honor

When the Holy Spirit inspired the title for this blog post I thought that it would go in a different direction initially.  In the midst of thinking about what to write to address the Spirit of Honor, my family suffered the tragic loss of my Step-Father - Mr. John E. Walker.  In the days that followed this loss, the Spirit began to speak to my heart again in regards to the Spirit of Honor and what to include in this blog post.

The Word of God admonishes us to . . . "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12 NLT)  

God reminded me of the above scripture and reminded me of the simple fact that the time that I took to shut everything down in my own life to be at my Mom's side, for as long as she needed me, didn't go unnoticed by Him.  I also watched intently as my Mom took the time to take care of every detail for the arrangements and desired to ensure that she was truly honoring her husband and his final wishes. 

This was not the first time that I had watched my Mom in this role of honoring my Step-Father, but it got me to thinking  . . . How many of us wait until the moment of laying our loved one to their final resting place to honor them? 

This post is not about grieving or death, but it is about life and living.  I want to encourage you to take the time to operate in the Spirit of Honor on a daily basis.  Don't take one day for granted.  The Spirit of Honor seeks to appreciate and invest time into those that God has set in our path. It causes us to think of the needs of others before ourselves.  When you make it a point to operate out of the Spirit of Honor, those that God has placed in your path will have no doubt about the love and care that you have for them.  Walking in the Spirit of Honor demonstrates openly to everyone around you that the Fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are at work in your life. 

As children of the Most High God, we always seek to reflect His nature in all that we do; so we must allow God to integrate a Spirit of Honor into the core of who we are.  And I will challenge you again . . . seek to honor those outside of just your family or good friends.  Honor those who you labor with in ministry, those you work with, or even a stranger.  You don't know how your one act of kindness could change the trajectory of their lives.  Have your ears and heart open to the Holy Spirit and follow His instructions on who, what, when, and where.

Your act of honor can be as simple or as grand as your heart desires.  It could be as simple as a handwritten note or could be as grand as blessing someone with the trip of a lifetime.  Whatever you set your heart to do . . . do it TODAY!  Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us.  Don't miss the opportunity afforded you today to honor those around you.

But . . . . They Hurt Me!

Psalm 34:18 NLT

If  you live long enough, you are assured to experience some sort of hurt in your lifetime. When we start to discuss hurt, most of us tend to turn our thoughts towards the hurt that we've experienced in a romantic relationship. But that's not the only hurt that we experience. . .

At the root of it all, we are human and we constantly interact with other humans who may disappoint us, reject us, offend us, not deliver on their promises, not stand up for us and defend us, not support our dreams, not comfort us in our darkest hours . . . . etc. This list could go on forever, but at the center of it all we just want to be LOVED!  And we want to be loved for who we are at our core, and not for who others think we should be or for what we have the potential to do.

So . . . . what happens when we are hurt? What happens when we are hurt by our family, friends, significant others, or even our brothers and sisters in Christ? For many of us we withdraw from those that hurt us and build walls to "protect" us from ever having to feel that level of hurt again. For others, we put on masks so that we can go out into the world and "function". We find ourselves hiding behind the masks of fake smiles and laughs while on the inside . . . . there is nothing but constant turmoil.

But what would happen if we stopped hiding?

I want to encourage you, and challenge you a little as well, to take off the masks and open up your spirit to allow God to heal your hurt and brokenness. Allow God to begin the process of tearing down those walls and putting the pieces of your heart back together again.

God has placed people in your path to assist Him in this process of healing.  These are people who God has hand picked and anointed to love you, support you, and encourage you in this journey of restoration.  God has given them the discernment to see past the mask and understand the hurt. The only thing that is required on your part is to be open to the love that they so desperately want to lavish upon you.

My prayer is that you will allow God's love in your life from this moment forward. I can testify that God will heal and restore everything that the enemy tried to steal from you, if you will just be open to receive all that He has to give. Remember God wants to rescue you . . . 

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed" 

Psalm 34:18 NLT

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."

Waiting on God …

Just my thoughts on a Saturday morning … We sometimes get impatient in our waiting … wanting God to show us who our spouse is. And when God reveals it to us, we are overwhelmed with excitement and want to shout it from the mountaintops. 

However … I challenge you to turn your focus toward yourself and ask God to show you what is required of YOU to fulfill the role of "husband or wife" to that person God has revealed is your spouse. Ask God to whisper the secrets of that person's calling and passion to you, so that you can prepare to be the support and prayer-warrior that they need. 

If they are called to minister around the world, if they are called to run a multi-million dollar business, if they are called to long-term missionary work, if they are called to be in the public eye … are you ready?! Have you made the adjustments in your actions to put them before yourself, have you changed your ways to be considerate and loving instead of selfish, have you renewed your mind with the Word of God…in order to be ready to step into the role of "husband/wife" for The One?

The role of "husband/wife" is truly a ministry … requiring a total surrendering of yourself to God, so that He can assist you in walking victoriously in marriage.   Marriage works … if you work! Great, amazing, and mind boggling marriages don't just happen, they take the thoughtful consideration of two people who focus their attention towards showing God's love to the other person FIRST.  

I've heard it said that great marriages happen when two servants fall in love. 

So you may say … what about ME, what about MY needs?! Well … I'm sorry to inform you that in marriage "me and my" don't really exist anymore. You are joined together with your spouse to be ONE. And think about it … if your spouse's focus is to always be filling your love tank, considering you before themselves, praying for you, pushing you to the next level in your calling, and thinking of unbelievable ways to bless you … what are you worried about? In this type of marriage atmosphere, you can easily take the focus off yourself, because God, through your spouse, is making sure that the things that concern you are taken care of.

Put your focus on being the best "husband/wife" for your spouse, based on their needs and not yours. Now I will warn you … in most cases, changing your focus may take you outside your comfort zone or what you are accustomed to. But the good news is … God is working those adjustments for your good. It is an adjustment that you need, so that you can go to the next level in all God has called you to do and all that He desires to bless you with.

When you put God at the center of your thoughts and your marriage, it produces a beautiful relationship of honor, respect, and love. Strive to be the spouse that "out loves" the other and I promise you that the fruit of your labor will be sweet! 

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).