Warning: I'm Shouting From My Soap Box

Warning: Today I am speaking from the emotions of my heart on a issue that I find truly despicable and detesting,RACISM.
There are not many things in this world that I just absolutely hate, but there is just this one thing that makes my blood boil and pressure rise and it is racism...... Many of you who frequent my blog have noticed by my pictures that I am an African American woman. I love my race and I love embracing and learning about other races and cultures. As a Christian, I have no room in my heart to dislike or to be unaccepting of any human being that was created by my heavenly father. I just wish the world thought the same.
Yesterday, an event happened with one of my girls that for me was just like pulling a band aid off a open sore- it stung and hurt like the dickens.
I know that many people of my generation believe that the race divide has shrank, and true it has tremendously, but when you grow up in and continue to live in the rural south, you almost forget that it has. You are reminded daily, in subtle, sometimes not so subtle ways. Myself, I can take it. I grew up in a town that was about 30 minutes from the national headquarters of the Klu Klux Klan. I grew up in an area where you were afraid to get stopped on back roads by the local law enforcement. I grew up in an area where the roots of hatred were so deep they seemed to be never ending, and those seeds were forcefully planted in the minds and hearts of the next generations, I am accustomed to the looks and the tobacco spits when you walk by, and the negative connotations that are said under the breath as you walk or drive by. I am used to the Confederate flag in front yards, truck bumpers, belt buckles, tee-shirts, and every where else you can slap it on. I'm used to that, and I used that to motivate myself to become more educated and to embrace all the knowledge that comes with learning about other people.
However, what I can't handle, is explaining this to my children. Every time I have to, it's like someone sucks the breath out of my lungs. How do you shatter the innocent love of a child by explaining the ghost of Jim Crow that lingers around, resurrected by his children's children. I know that this may be a sore topic for some, but for me its a reality. For my children it is becoming a reality. Trying to explain God's love and creation of all people in his likeness and image in one breath, and trying to explain why you are hated for the very distinguishable characteristics that makes us all different can be a task sometimes.
I say all this because I want to caution that just because we see strides in the racial divide, it is not closed completely. Racism is a lingering stench that floats in air in may forms. Please don't hide this ugly truth from your children when and if they see it and ask. They need to know that it's not from God and its a hurtful thing that makes him unhappy. We need to continue to plant seeds of love, teach them about other races, and cultures. Don't limit them to only Black History, there are so many other histories that we can all learn from. A good way to start, is with the Bible.
I know February is legally supposed to be black history month for the majority of this nation, but for me, it is a daily history lesson. History is constantly in motion. History never ends. History is always someones story of yesterday, and yesterday is every day.
Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged- smfg.

Musical Victory

I really just wanted to share this 53 second clip of my six year old at her piano recital. At first I was hesitant to even add pictures or share any thing other than thoughts about my children since this is cyber world, but I have to put my faith in God and trust my gut on this one. This was such an enormous victory for her ( and for momma!) expecially with bosting her self confidence and her fear of performing in front of others.... She is very proud of herself and wanted me to share with the world!! This was the sweetest 53 seconds I have had in a long, long time!!! Enjoy!!!

God is So Wonderful

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Corinthians 15:57

I thank God for being the Wonderful, Almighty, On-Time God that he is. I thank him for never ever needing my help when it comes to taking care of my needs or fighting my battles. I thank him for knowing so much more than I can ever imagine to know. I thank Him for the undeserving benefits and blessings that he bestows on me daily. I thank God for his benefit of hope, faith and love. I thank him for allowing me to love him, I could not love him if he didn't find my love worthy! I thank him for VICTORY over the devil and his powers of darkness! He is everything to me. I thank God for being a Child of the King!!!! Take time out today to give thanks to The Almighty, for he is surely worthy to be praised!

Psalm 68:19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Psalm 103:2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalm 116:12What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psalm 140:13
Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

The Devil In My Chair!!!!!!

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you 1 Peter 4:12

Isn't if funny how when the Lord leads you to encourage someone, how the devil will always step in and try to take your joy???

This morning on my route to work,I was talking to someone about about a employment situation and I was trying to offer words of encouragement, we even prayed about the situation for God to bless and show himself, little did I know what was in store for me when I arrived to work. I came to work full of joy, feeling encouraged and energized in my soul, but when I turned the key to my office it was if Satan, Beeazlebub, Lucifer, or whatever you like to call him was sitting in my chair, arms crossed like "Hey Girl, I've been waiting on you, what took you so long to get here" I mean the devil showed himself through a co-worker as soon as I walked in! But I thank God for showing himself to me by allowing me to encourage someone else earlier.

By being able to encourage someone else, I too was able to be encouraged, I was "prayed up" as we say, because as the devil was attacking my friend, he was roaring about seeking to devour me also! God however, is faithful to prepare us for these types of days. Like Paul said in Scripture, " think it not strange" why would I expect anything less from the devil when I am upsetting him by exposing him to someone else! I wanted to be upset with my co-worker because her behavior shocked me, but then I had to stop and thank God for showing me her true colors as we like to say and allowing me to see that I had put too much confidence in her. He showed me her fruit and it wasn't sweet like I thought! But still, I had to humble myself and treat her with an extra dose of kindness and by doing so, I have been happy today.

The thought then occurred to me that I must explain this to my children. They need to understand early that when people are mean or hurtful, or intentionally rude or unthoughtful, that we as Christians need to think it not strange, and that when you don't think that its strange then it makes it easier to see the devil behind the person playing his infamous role of puppet master. We also need to let them know that when they get into situations where they want to be upset at someone for being mean that they must continue to pray for them and show them love and kindness.

Just as the devil is after us, he is also after our children and they don't know all of his tricks just yet. We need to teach them Scriptures they can use to encourage themselves. Today I choose Proverbs 16:7When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (My wonderful dad used this scripture to encourage me today!)

I believe that this will be both a great learning and growth process for me and my children. Can you share tactics you use to help teach your children to fight the enemy? Or what you use to fight the enemy?

Miss Worst Case Scenario

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24

I thank God for his faithfulness in showing us ourselves if we are willing to look. I am/was Miss. Worst Case Scenario.... I admit it, I accept it as a weakness and a sin, I asked God to forgive me for playing this role, and to deliver me from it and I claim victory from it! I never thought of it as a bad thing actually, but it's funny how our past sinful life teaches us to always be on guard, paranoid, and on the look-out for the evil lurking in the shadows and eventually those shadows follow us around like a perpetual cartoon character with the thundercloud and lightning bolt over its head( yep, you know which one I am talking about). Unfortunately I was that cartoon character. No matter how good a situation was and is, I would and until recently ( I am claiming victory!!) still brace myself and try to prepare for the "worst case scenario" in the situation. Eventually this persona takes over your life, and you become cynical, negative, presumptuous about and even predicting worst case scenario's. I thank God and my true friends for pointing this out about me, because honestly, I never really realized this about myself and I was blinded by it and couldn't see myself.

I had a spiritual epiphany or breakthrough last night, we had a message in bible class about being free. God brought back a particular comment that a friend made to me about always seeing things negatively, My response was "I am not negative, but a realist". That is when I realized that when you trust in God, there is no such thing as being a realist, or a worst case scenario (unless you disobey God and do things in and of yourself in the flesh). God doesn't give us his worst, yes he gives us tests and trials, but then they are only to make us stronger so what is worst case about that? Worst case thinking causes is us to doubt, to waver, to not glorify God and to let enemy plant seeds that cultivate an unGodly way of thinking. This state of mind can cause us to miss our blessings James 1:6-9 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Thinking positive and remembering the goodness of God and his blessings is a start to help you overcome always thinking about "worst case scenario's". Philippians 4:8 tells us : Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If we think on these things there won't be any room for worst case scenario's. Only thoughts of knowing Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Why is this important? Scripture plainly tells us in Proverbs 23:7For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he .

If we continuously think in worst case scenario, then we accept worst case scenarios, eventually we will give worst case scenarios, and our children will accept this and become another generation of worst case scenario thinkers and doers. Bottom line, if you think worse, then you will give God your worse. So as single mothers let us ask God for help from the condemnations of the enemy concerning our past, present and future situations. Embrace the freedom and life that you have with God, and allow him to work his best through you so that you can pass it along to your children. That's what being a mother is all about right???


Stay blessed and encouraged!!!

Perfect Me O' Lord

Yesterday was my youngest daughters sixth birthday, and I was pretty down about not being able to do things that I wanted to do. Flat out, I felt like a horrible mother for not being able to do the things I wanted to do. I wanted to get up and have her favorite breakfast ready for her as a surprise but I overslept, I was exhausted!!! We were running late and the enemy started in on my mind telling me that " You asked God to help you in this area; now look at you" Well my faithful God sent me a scripture Psalms 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

My God is still working with me, he is still perfecting me, and as long as he is perfecting me daily then I am a perfect mom. My daughter was okay with out having her favorite french toast sticks, she happily thanked me for her " Birthday cereal". As single mothers we have to trust in the Almighty God, we have to accept his compliments and his love as well as his chastisement. We can not let the enemy battle our mind with our imperfections, accepting his condemnation will not do anything but tire us out and dehydrate us from the spiritual water that we need to energize ourselves to take care of our families.. Besides do our children really care if about the mountains we make out of mole hills? I say nay, they are perfectly happy with birthday cereal!