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Our Journey. Episode 3.

When I was 10 years old, I attended a church service on a Tuesday night with my mom. We always had to go to church; we had to go at 11 am on Sundays and again at 7 pm for Gospel service… we went during the week on Tuesdays (Bible Studies), Thursdays (prayer meetings) and Fridays (youth service) – rain or shine… tired or faint… did I say always? It was our norm. This particular Tuesday night, I was at church with my sister and our peers and somehow I fell asleep during the service – let’s just say that I was really… really tired 😓. In between dozes, I woke up to see Kerry and some of our peers moving towards the front of the church to sit on the front row… naturally, I did what any little sister would do… I got up and followed without a clue about why they were going! This impromptu action reminds me of how we should respond when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do something – without questioning or second guessing ourselves – just follow His lead! It turned out that those of us who were moving to sit on the front bench were invited to commit ourselves to following Jesus through water baptism. After I found out, I was too timid to go back to my seat and decided to give it a try; I’m so glad that I did! Over the years, Jesus helped me to honor my commitment to Him; He is a God of His word and He wants us to always try to honor our commitments no matter how young or old we are.

One of the challenges that Kerry faced while in the hospital was an attack on her mind. Her speech was sometimes delayed when she spoke and there were times when it seemed like she was trapped within her own mind battling forces that wanted to destroy her. Kerry was unable to remember some basic things and sometimes she had trouble recognizing us. The high cortisol levels in her body made her emotionally unstable and to complicate the turbulence, in July 2019, the doctors told her that her cancer was incurable. The enemy repeatedly used this diagnosis to demotivate and bring discouragement to our family. There were moments when we really broke down; there were tears, sleepless and long nights, there were even times when we felt powerless. God used this to remind us that His grace is sufficient for us for His power is made perfect in weakness; it is when we are weak then we are strong in Him (2 Corinthians 12:9). In mercy, God sent people – some whom we never even knew – to pray, support and encourage us. Our immediate relatives and extended church families in New York, Florida, Canada, Jamaica, London and many other places began to intervene on our behalf. We found strength through their prayers, support and through the Word of God.

Are we worried? Not anymore. God has given us peace and like David, we now say:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55: 22

Was there a time when you felt that you couldn’t make it without God’s help and the support of a community whether family, friends or even strangers? How did it turn out? Share your story with us in the comments below and let’s build each other’s faith; For with God, nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37). In ‘Our Journey, Episode 4,’ I will share with you the road to attempted chemotherapy and the unexpected outcome. Until then, walk good.

God bless you!

Keisha-Marie

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Our Journey. Episode 2.

After Kerry’s diagnosis, we were thrown into a frenzy and by the end of July 2019, we had so many unanswered questions: Why our family? How could this have happened? Did we do something wrong? What’s going to happen to the grocery store that my sister and her family launched a year ago? How would Kerry’s husband, my young niece, and nephew cope with this? Our emotions took several roller coaster rides going forward and backward with highs and lows of uncertainty.

As if the cancer diagnosis was not enough in June 2019, Kerry was also diagnosed with Cushings – a condition that exists when the body makes too much cortisol on its own. Before this diagnosis, I had no idea what cushing syndrome was. I watched my sister go in and out of intensive and emergency care – struggling to remain sane because of the high cortisol levels in her body. It made her delusional… it was very painful to watch… it was hard to grasp… I thought initially that there had to be some mistake; there was none. To control the cortisol levels in her body, the doctors had to remove her adrenaline glands. The season had come to test our foundation – everything we believed. The season proved very real; it was the beginning of a very hard pathway!

Our burden was heavy and I felt extremely unprepared and ill-equipped to deal with the hard-pressed season that had begun. During the summer of 2019, I was completing my practical training as a web designer at Lone Star College-Tomball and being a single mother with recently-turned 12-year-old twin girls, I did NOT want to be challenged mentally, physically or spiritually. Yet here came this uninvited season, ruffling my contentment feathers and avidly calling me to a higher spiritual level. When the hardness of the season hit me like a rock, I knew I had to make a choice. I had two options: I could either face the season alone and overwhelm myself with what it brought or I could release my burdens to Someone I knew who told me through His Word to cast my cares on Him; either way I could not emotionally or physically bear this burden alone. Through lack of understanding, hurt and pain, I chose to release my burdens – I turned to the God who knew what it felt like to watch His Son suffer pain.

One day in the first month that Kerry was hospitalized, I came home after being at the store all day. I was heavily burdened and I felt the emotional pressure building up in my head. As I showered, my tears flowed as I sought God for wisdom and strength; I thank God that no matter where we are or what we’re in the middle of doing, He shows up whenever we call. Like heavy rain down-pouring on parched plot of land, I felt the warm presence of the Holy Spirit pouring into my body; it felt like a wave washing over me – I was given a garment of praise for my spirit of heaviness. I began worshiping and as my tears flowed, I could feel God’s embrace as He assured me that He would be with us all the way. I released my sister into His care and then I heard Him whisper softly, “this sickness will not end in death.” I heard it, I embraced it and I left home for the hospital to declare it. I was anointed for the season.

I know you may be wondering what made me sure it was the voice of God that I heard and not what I wanted to see happen playing out through my emotions. Excellent question! At first, I felt confident that it was God and I declared it wholeheartedly but a few days later… I had doubts! Yes, believe it or not… (now I understood more clearly what happened to Eve in the Garden) I began to have SERIOUS DOUBTS! What if I was wrong? What if what I declared was my emotions and not the voice of God? We all go there sometimes… hearing from God then wondering if it were really God. To be honest with you, there’s no way to tell if you do not have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you to confirm what you heard. The moment that the enemy started asking, “did God really say…” is the moment the Holy Spirit started responding to my doubts and the enemy’s questions with the Word. That’s when I knew! Every time I heard the question in my mind, “how are you so sure?” (and I still hear it from time to time), I hear a resounding Word in my spirit, “by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5),” “honor your father and your mother that your days may be LONG on the earth (Exodus 20:12),” “if you have faith as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20),” or “for with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37)” but the question is always answered through a verse. Even though I get these timely responses to my doubt, I’ve riveted in my mind that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus came to bring us life here on earth and in the life to come. Since it is the Father’s will to heal us, we must not allow the thief to invade our thinking but focus instead on what God says through His Word! Hang on to the Word of God for dear life!

Kerry leaving hospital in August 2019
Kerry leaving hospital in August 2019

Kerry was hospitalized from June to August 2019 after her initial diagnosis; she was also hospitalized several times since then – the season continues but as a family, we will continue to declare God’s Word over her life.. over all our lives. In ‘Our Journey, Episode 3,’ I will share with you some of the obstacles we faced as our faith began to stretch. Until then, walk good.

God bless you!

Keisha-Marie

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Our Journey. Episode 1.

Approximately one year ago, on June 19, 2019, my family began a season that we had never known, seen, or felt before: my sister was diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer. Kerry, as we called her since we were kids, is my only sister – she is two years older than I am. We come from a family of six (6) – I have two half-brothers and my sister and I share the same parents. In this blog series, I will share with you our journey through this ordeal, how God continues to help our faith grow in Him, and how as a family we are learning to trust Him each day. I hope that as you journey with me – whatever season you find yourself in, whether you can relate to a long-term family illness or you lost a loved one suddenly – I pray that our journey through this season will help to bring you peace. If you cannot relate, I pray that you will gain insight and be blessed as you share our journey. “And this we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8: 28). This is who we are:

My sister and I grew up pretty close; she was always looking out for me… literally! I remember some of the instances pretty clearly – one time when I was in high school and she was attending a neighboring college, there was a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Jamaica in January 1993. I remember it like yesterday; my sister rushed over to the school grounds to find me within minutes after the tremor to make sure that I was safe. I was on the third floor of a building and God protected me from harm. I can also vividly remember my sister being my heart door keeper when I was probably about 16 years old and light-headedly dated a young man from my community. My inexperience and lack of self confidence closed my eyes to a lot of things then… one day, I went to visit him… he was living by himself at the time. Within 10 minutes of arriving at his place, my sister was at the door, armed with her big-sister shield and wielding her protective sword to take me home… I pouted and left but in hind sight I knew that she was genuinely looking out for my interest. She always has and always will. Our relationship was always a ‘looking-out for each other’ type.

Kerry and I in May 2019
Kerry and I in May 2019

Fast forward to our adult years, Kerry’s protection remained instrumental and with God’s guidance, she helped to keep me balanced through some very insecure years. After leaving high school, our parents had separated and my path became unclear with many different crossroads. My sister took the lead – she became a first gen university graduate and her example led the way for me to follow. She got married and after several years, moved to the U.S. in the 2000’s with her family, unknowingly that years later, God would have allowed me to follow on her heels. I arrived in the U.S. in 2016, and this arrival was no coincidence; God ordains and orders my steps – I was brought here for such a time as this!

I strongly believe that our steps are ordered by a loving God who is often misunderstood. I will not try to defend Him because He needs no defense; however, I will share my story and tell how God’s Holy Spirit continues to help me along every step of the way through this journey. In ‘Our Journey. Episode 2‘, I will share how God continues to reveal Himself through our dark nights and how we are learning to trust Him each day. Until then, walk good.

God bless you!

Keisha-Marie

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Words determine Responses

Did you realize that our words carry meaning and that they determine how others respond to us as an individual? "Of course!" you may say, "but who cares?" God does... and so should you!

You'd be amazed at the simple things we take for granted- for example, the famous three words- "I don't care!"  Although we are our brother's keeper, almost everyday we hear or use this phrase yelled in response to something said or done.  We take phrases such as these for granted not realizing the impact they make and the responses they generate- our words have power!

The words 'I don't care' when pulled apart, points to selfishness and denial of our responsibility to care about other's feelings. The word 'I' points the spotlight directly on us - it gives us a stage and a microphone to say to the world, "look at me."  Using 'I' gives us power - it makes us become the subject of the conversation - the life of the party - it makes us selfish - a non-characteristic of love.

1 Corinthians 13 reminds us how we should use love to respond to selfishness:

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Nowhere in this verse do the words, "I don't care" have place to demonstrate selfishness. Saying we don't care is quite the opposite of who God wants us to be.  When we say we don't care, we're basically telling someone that they do not matter; that should never be our stance,  Everyone matters- even if we think that what others say bears no weight or sounds foolish - they matter, their words matter... their lives matter; we are our brothers' keeper!

We have the power to choose to be patient and kind - we have the power to choose not to be jealous or boastful or proud or rude - it's a choice! Choose today to build others and not be self-centered.  In building others, we build a strong society.

Instead of saying, "I don't care," trying using words like, "I don't get what you're saying but it's okay." More words - definitely, but less dismissive; such a statement gives room for inclusiveness, an opportunity for clarity and for individuals to show love, respect, and patience.  Give it a try, then come back to this blog and tell me how it worked.  I'd love to hear your story!

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The Just shall live by Faith

Being a single mom is hard and every day, I ask God for strength to face my battles.  Today, He showed me His love and reminded me of His goodness and mercy… I’d like to share in the event that this testimony can be of encouragement to you.  Psalms 23:6 says “…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” and Bethel’s song called ‘Goodness of God‘ is a wonderful affirmation that God’s goodness and mercy literally follows us everyday. We just need to believe it and walk in it – today’s testimony is my evidence of His goodness and mercy towards me.

I think that this testimony started last Friday when I started worshiping at home after dropping the girls off at school and returning home to have devotion.  The Holy Spirit had placed the song Goodness of God in my heart and I couldn’t stop singing it.  I found it on YouTube and played it over and over until I learned most of the words and it really started to minister to me.  By evening, after I had picked up the girls’ on their last day of school, I took them to the dentist then returned home and made dinner.   We ate and then all of us turned to our individual activities (electronics corner) being Friday and all.  I retired to my room and again the Holy Spirit prompted me to play the same song – Goodness of God – with the lyrics on the television on my room – I was obedient – before I knew it, one of my daughters joined me in the room and began singing with me.  We sang the same song over and over the the presence of God fell on us both in the room – my daughter had her own experience with God, raised her hand to heaven and we worshiped under the anointing of God – it was a joyous and cherished memory I will never forget – personally, I think it opened the door for what happened today!

We attended church and were reminded that the deadline for registering for Kids Camp at our church is June 3.  Now in my opinion – Kids Camp is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences you could ever give to children – from my own church camp experiences when I was about their age, I received a spiritual foundation and that became my motivation to learn how to seek God.  I really… really… REALLY… wanted to send both girls to get the experience but as a single mom with financial commitments, finding the $580 as camp fee for both girls was a challenge.  There was also the issue of one of my girls being fearful to go because she’s experiencing difficulties with swelling in both her wrists and kept telling herself she wouldn’t have fun because of her wrists. I kept praying for God to give me wisdom about sending her;  deep down,  I really wanted both girls to go because I believed that they would benefit spiritually from camp – children need a good spiritual foundation to build character and confidence if they are going to be the light of the world.

That being said, I moved in faith and registered the twin who really wanted to go on Saturday – she was elated to go but unhappy that she’d go without her sister.  Her faith led her to pray for God to give her sister courage to want to go.  She prayed on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, she kept nagging her sister to stir up her willingness to go.  For the entire drive from home to church, she begged and pleaded with her sister to attend camp with her and by the time we got out of the car and were walking towards the building, her sister said she wanted to go!  I was happy that she had changed her mind but also knew that I didn’t have the money to pay upfront for her to go.  I began to pray to God for help.

As a member of the prayer team at my church, we usually meet to pray about fifteen minutes before church begins – I got inside before the group gathered, and jumped on my phone to check if space was still available to register my second daughter.  I felt in my heart that I wanted her to go and I wanted to trust God to take care of it.  As the notices rolled on the digital screens, I saw the camp reminder that the deadline for camp registration was June 3 and right there and then I made a decision to register my second daughter using my credit card.  I prayed to God and told Him that I didn’t have the funds but I wanted her to go experience Him there! I didn’t know how I’d pay it back but I was willing to trust Him to pay it back!  God tells us that we should command Him according to His Word – It didn’t feel like I was commanding Him but more like reminding Him that my children being at camp will benefit His Kingdom-kind-of-request.  I told Him that He’ll have to find a way to help me pay it back because I couldn’t afford to pay for both children but I felt within my spirit that they needed to be there.   I registered her using my credit card, handed the receipt to God and joined the prayer team in praying for service.

As usual, praise and worship was amazing and Pastor Brett shared a powerful word about ‘Let it Go!’ – I was so immersed into the Word and serving with the prayer team afterwards that I forgot about my prayer and the registration receipt that I had given to God.  After church I started greeting some team members and after embracing our prayer team leader, she asked how I was doing and if I had anything planned for the summer.  I casually responded that I was okay, would be working for the summer and that I really wanted the girls to go to camp.  The Holy Spirit  began working through our conversation and the next thing I knew she was offering to sponsor one of my daughters to go to camp! I was ecstatic and overjoyed.  I shared with her how I had registered my second daughter on faith and how God had used her as an answer to my prayer.  We rejoiced together and I continue to give God thanks for her willingness and obedience, and for His answer to my prayer even before I left His sanctuary! He paid the bill!

God knows our hearts and He will never leave us nor forsake us.  I shared this testimony because I know that God is real and that He cares about you and me.  I know there are days when we feel we’re alone and we feel like God left us but I’m here to remind you that God sees you – He knows your heart – He feels your pain and He wants to help you!  If you reach out to Him, He’ll help you through whatever it is that troubles you… He knows how heavy your burdens are and He wants to help you carry them.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light!  Won’t you trust Him to help you? Be encouraged today and live in the goodness of God – the just will live by faith!

Here’s Goodness of God by Bethel Music! Live in the goodness of God! NOW Kids Camp – here come my daughters for a live-changing experience! Thank you Jesus!

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How Will I Know?

When God told Abram (before his name changed) that He was going to give Him land as his possession (Gen 15: 7), his first question to God was, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” (Gen 15:8‬ ‭NLT)‬‬. Was this ever you – asking God how will you know what He promised will happen? I’ve been there… maybe too many times, but I’ve certainly asked God this question while waiting on Him to deliver on His Word.

We’ve all had promises made to us at some point in our lives; we’ve all had some promises broken too – no wonder when it comes to believing God for something, our human tendencies cause us to wonder if God will truly keep His Word. Our minds become wrapped in our own limits and we pull God into our limitations wondering what if we didn’t hear Him right to begin with or what if He changed His mind about fulfilling the promise. Thinking it too good to be true and tired of waiting, we allow doubt and unbelief to gain control of our thoughts… we allow external sources to alter what we initially received from God and avidly, we start working on Plan B in the event that God’s Plan A doesn’t work out – either on time or any at all.

After God’s promise to give Abram a son of his own, Sarai’s suggestion (her Plan B) convinced Abram to manifest the promise through her Egyptian servant girl. We do similar actions like this all the time – but what I’ve learnt is that our Plan B’s will always divert us away from God’s ultimate plan for our lives – Plan B’s create unnecessary responsibilities for us down the road.

What about those times when we laugh at the thought of God fulfilling a promise when the ‘procedures’ for things were ‘outside the norm’- been there, done that… thinking to myself well… since this is the standard way things are done and my situation isn’t this way then I might as well forget about this promise, end of discussion! Sarai had a similar reaction when she overheard Abram talking to God that they would have a son. She laughed and even denied that she did (Gen 18: 13-15). What is profound to me is that even after she did this – God still kept His promise! He never changed His mind because she doubted and when afraid lied about it- this is the same God who keeps His promises to us. He’ll never change His mind about something He promised us even when we become afraid and disbelieve.

So how do I know? Sometimes I ‘feel’ like I don’t- but I do what I must to keep my faith strong and believe that God cannot lie – He will keep His Word to me! You can know too by changing how you ‘feel’ and by choosing to believe what God has promised you- ponder it in your heart until it manifests! Believe that what God says He will do! Even if He doesn’t give you signs of what’s to come, even if His promise seems impossible like Abram and Sarai’s old age promise to have a child, even if you doubt and laugh in your heart at the thought of your promise being fulfilled- know that the God of Creation will never turn His back on a promise to you! Is anything too hard for the Lord?

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What’s in it for you?

Many people think that following Jesus is for people who are brain-washed or for people who feel they need someone or something to believe in. Whatever your take is on this topic, it is only in trying to become like Jesus that we will discover what this course of action really means – just like finding out if an orange is sweet or sour can only be done through tasting it for yourself.

What was in it for me? When I really…really started to believe in Jesus, I started taking time out to read His Word – it’s what guides me and keeps me from my mistakes (I learned this way too late!).  Notice I said ‘really…really’ – that wasn’t a typo :).  I grew up hearing that Jesus loved me and that He died to give me life – but never really understood what this meant.  I got baptized at 10 years old, I went to church… almost every Sunday… not to mention Bible studies on Tuesdays, and Youth Fellowship on Fridays… and yes, I took communion every time they did it at church!  Was I brain-washed?  Maybe… but I still never got it!  As I grew, I didn’t think there was more to it than following the rules – certainly I could do that – and that I did for quite a while!  All this time I never grasped what it meant that Jesus loved me and that He wanted me to become more like Him – what did becoming more like Him even mean anyway? My curiosity got the better of me and perhaps at the age of 22, I started to read the Bible seriously for myself… to gain understanding.  Even though I began to change on the inside little by little, I still didn’t know what was in it for me.

As a young adult, I made choices that were not the best – they led to lots of life challenges that took root and tested my strength, patience and determination.  In my anger and frustration,  I questioned God to find out why things were going the way they were – despite the fact that I was the one making all MY choices.  It wasn’t until seriously reading His Word that I began to get insight and find peace for my unplanned outcomes.   Did I start believing only because of what I was taught growing up? No – while a foundation was laid, it wasn’t until I started to believe in what I read that my transformation began.  I discovered through my journey that when I stopped to ask God about any particular situation, things always turned out differently from when I ran ahead and did it all on my own.  I took note… and so… I started believing more… and my belief led me to experience better outcomes, more peace, more patience, more understanding… I finally got it!  That’s what was in it for me!   There was no catch to it, no tricks up God’s sleeve, just plain old believing that He wanted to help me to become more like Him to save me from myself – my mistakes, my choices and my selfish ways!

So… why should you want to become more like Jesus? What’s in it for you?  Becoming more like Jesus is actually meant to save us from ourselves – God wants to empower us and equip us with His love, peace, and joy… just so we can share His ways with others and become our best us!  When we become more like Him, we experience a change of heart and we transform into ways that bring us lasting love, joy, and peace. That’s what’s in it for you!

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Jesus is in the boat!

Luke gave a powerful account of how Jesus wanted to go over to the other side of the lake while they were out in a boat one day. One of the many things I love about Jesus, is that He always know when to make the right moves. There was purpose in Him wanting to cross to the other side.

Luke 8: 22-39

It’s interesting to note how as they left for their journey, Jesus laid down for a nap! My first thought was ok… so Jesus says let’s go on this trip and then… He falls asleep. Hmm. Wasn’t it His idea to cross to the other side? Why did He fall asleep? Isn’t He supposed to be awake so He can tell us if we’re going the wrong way? What we must realize is that there is purpose in everything… just like there was purpose in Him falling asleep. He had to “fall asleep” for the storm to come.

Has God ever told you to do something and the minute you started doing it you begin to feel alone in what you’re doing? What happened next after Jesus fell asleep on the boat, is very enlightening. “A fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger” (v. 23). Real danger?!!! I could hear myself muttering inwardly, “Jesus, this was your idea to cross to the other side, first you fall asleep… and now a storm? Oh for crying out loud!” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there was also purpose in the storm – and the purpose was two-folded.

Firstly, the storm was a test for the disciples to assess where their faith was at – that’s why Jesus asked them after He calmed the storm, “Where is your faith?” – it was examination time. Similarly, our storms today are meant to have us examine our faith. Use your storm to assess your faith level and keep reminding yourself that Jesus is always with you.

Secondly, the storm was sent to stop the mission that Jesus was about – to complete the miracle on the other side. Notice that the storm came when “Jesus was asleep”? There was real danger! It was extremely important for Luke to emphasize that Jesus was sleeping when the storm came. This emphasis is for our benefit. God knew that times would come when feel like He fell asleep after we started on our journey. This is never the case because He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Psalms 121: 4). Our life storms bring about real danger. They’re sent by the enemy to derail us and stop us from accomplishing what God wants us to do. How we handle our storms is directly linked to our faith in Jesus as we go through it. This is why our faith in Him is so important.

Jesus’ primary mission to the other side of the lake was to deliver a man who had been demon-possessed for a long time. It was the only thing He did before getting back into the boat and setting sail again across the lake. The people who witnessed the miracle were too afraid of what He did and asked him to leave them alone. Jesus knew the people would do this before He went over – yet He went any way – just to deliver the man to do what he needed to do.

Not surprisingly, the man who was delivered wanted to go back with Jesus but was told no. Why would Jesus say no? Why leave the man with the very people who asked Jesus to leave? The man became a seed that was planted among a group of people who were afraid of Jesus’ power. What better person to help unravel this societal fear than one of their own! Now the good news had reached to the other side of the lake and although the storm was meant to stop it, the mission was accomplished!

What storm do you have today that you think Jesus is sleeping through? Do your storms make you feel alone in your boat? Do you feel like you’re sinking and need to wake up Jesus? By all means, scream to Him for help if you have to… just don’t be derailed or prevent your miracle from happening. Use your storm to assess your faith and remind yourself that Jesus is right there in the boat!

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Those Quiet Moments…

“Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer” ~Psalm 94: 19

We all have quiet moments, whether welcomed or un-welcomed… and in most of those times, we tend to either question ourselves or question God’s will for our lives. Using the Word of God in our quiet moments will empower us to hear from God, rejuvenate our bodies, and renew our minds.

We need quiet moments for God to speak to us.

The busy world often overwhelm us and we spend lots of time trying to accomplish or become accomplished. With work, school, kids, grocery shopping, business trips, and the list goes on, endless responsibilities all compete for our time and energy.

Scheduling quiet moments away from the noise should be at the top of our list so that we can hear from God. Jesus was the perfect example when He went out alone into the wilderness to pray long before daybreak [Mark 1: 35]. He got away from it all to have quiet moments with God and so should we.

Quiet times help us to rejuvenate our bodies.

Everyday life can take a toll on us causing unexplained stress and illnesses. We should purposefully retrieve into quiet times and use it to meditate on the Word of God. It will bring calmness and rest to our bodies – you may even get fresh ideas to revisit and restructure old ideas.

Quiet times can renew our minds.

Renewed minds transform us [Romans 12:2] and making time to ensure that our minds are renewed will equip us to function better spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Next time you feel quiet, try not to entertain doubt and turmoil. David asked for God to quiet him and give him renewed hope and cheer. Let’s use our quiet moments to turn to the Word of God so we can hear from Him, rejuvenate our bodies and renew your minds.

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When I can’t find God…

Sometimes it seems hard to find God! I know He’s not lost but whenever we’re going through challenges, our thoughts and minds become clouded with our situations and it feels like we can’t find our way and our God.  Whenever I feel like this, going into worship mode usually helps – but this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. There are times when my flesh doesn’t want to go into worship mode – what do you do in times like these?  What do you do when you know what you’re supposed to do but you still “don’t feel like doing it?” – when you know if you reach out to someone they’re just going to tell you what you already know?

My approach has always been to just start playing worship music. At first when doing this, it feels like nothing is happening… but I keep the music flowing. After awhile…and sometimes a long while… my soul starts tuning in to the lyrics and the words begin to seep into my system. The Holy Spirit gets me to start thinking about the words of the song, and from there on, I can always count on Him to start intervening.

Eventually, my body catches up with my spirit and my mind begins to accept that God is really who I should focus on and not my circumstances. His Spirit begins to remind me how good He has been and that He’ll never leave me or forsake me.

This in itself is a breakthrough but the enemy does not want us to see it this way. So even at this stage, he still tries to whisper doubt that God isn’t listening or doesn’t even care, or the more popular one – we’re never going to get out of this one. This is when we have to open our mouths and rebuke him in the Name of Jesus. James 4:7 tells us that we must resist the devil and he will flee from us – not may – will. That’s power right there! If we want him to flee, we must resist him – that’s something that we have to choose to do.

It’s never easy to remain upbeat and spiritually motivated, but if we surround ourselves with worship music and songs that give God praise, we’ll find that God was standing right there with us all this time – through the clouds and through the challenges.

His promise is never to leave us and His Word is sure [John 14:16].  Below is one of my favorite worship songs to get you going. When you can’t find God… get your praise on and know that you are never alone!

https://youtu.be/Nh3oa4XYasQ