Ty and I were talking about things we used to love to do when we were kids and I told him how i used to ask if i could go 'play track'! LOL! we were both cracking up and i proceeded to tell him of a story of when i was on the schools track team. i was definitely a sprinter, but i thought i could do it all since i was so fast. my coach approached me and asked if i would do hurdles and i was so excited because of his confidence in me. the next few days we were going over the hurdles, but i was so sure that i was going to be fine, that i pretty much brushed it off. the following weekend we had a meet and i was so excited b/c it was my first one! i hadnt really practiced much on the hurdles, but it couldnt be that hard, huh? well, finally, the BIG day had come! i did well in the 200, 400, and the 400 relays. It was time for me to shine with the hurdles as well. Well, little did i know, the lack of preparation was going to show up and knock me on my face! Once the race started, i took off, as soon as i saw the first hurdle come around, the confidence that was once there was immediately gone! i didnt know how far to lift my knees, the proper form, my whole position was way OFF! first hurdle, i stumbled a little bit, but it caused an uneasiness in my mind, and quickly, the second one was approaching and not only did i hit the hurdle, but fell on my face! I just couldnt get it, but still wondering why I COULDNT GET IT RIGHT!? i was so embarrassed and mad at myself at the same time. after beating myself up, my coach finally came to me and asked me what did i think the problem was. I told him it was his fault! Ha, the nerve of me! I still remember how his face softened and as he said, 'Ericka, i showed you what you were supposed to do to prevent that from happening. I ran with you through every hurdle in practice to signal to you when the next one was coming. I coached you the entire time and I had confidence in you that you would do great, but YOU let them defeat you!' As i was telling this story to Ty, we BOTH recieved a similiar revelation! In order to defeat the hurdles, we have to be prepared for them. I KNEW the hurdles were coming during my race, but i just didnt know how to conquer them. In life, we are going to have hurdles, thats just the way it is, a scripture in the book of James says, 'WHEN troubles come our way..." (James 1:2,3) not "IF", but WHEN...How are you going to handle them? if we are prepared for them, it will make life so much easier. we will eliminate the complaining, the doubt, and self pity and when we are prepared, we are already victorious, no matter how many hurdles may be coming our way. without the hurdles, there would be nothing to overcome!
Preparation: Ephesians 6:10-11, 14-17 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes… Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
All in the name of WINGS!
Chicken wings and me just do not get along! Sounds crazy, but it is the truth! The ONLY reason I deal with them is b/c Ty loves them so much! Let me explain. I bake EVERYTHING! Any kind of meat that can be cooked, I put it in my oven. (For health reasons)The only time we eat something fried, which is once or twice a year, is fried catfish. (Or unless we are in the states straying away from our 9 month diet overseas)
Anyway, the other day, I was cooking this disasterous meal...how can it be so bad if Im just putting it in the oven? That too, I will explain. Ty is a simple man. Easygoing, loves everything I prepare, never complains, loves leftovers, the whole nine....but when it comes to his wings, they have to be PERFECT! Just the right amount of crisp, the perfect shade of brown, with a zest to go right along with it. So of course, wanting him to love every meal I make, I try to perfect it as much as I can. Well, every single time, I am almost cursing the creation of chicken! Ty never knows it, but behind the scenes, in my kitchen, its a true battle. Mind you, overseas, we dont have all the extra gadgets that we take for granted in the States, such as the BROIL dial.
Going back to his picky tendencies towards wings, the crispyness of it-that is. Ok, the first part of the meal is pretty simple. Put it in the oven and let it bake. Well, after so long, I have to start the hard part. I have to transport the wings from the dish onto another one. Let it bake for a little bit longer. Once they have started to create their own juices, I have to again, transport the wings onto another baking dish. (And yes, to answer any 'obvious' questions, I do use oven mits, I do use a fork, spatuala, etc....)
As I am turning over each and every wing, my fingers are dang near going through second degree burns. After baking in the dishes, I then put them in foil, inspecting every single one of them before placing them back in the oven. If you are a cook, you know some parts of the chicken can tend to get 'slimy' (Ty's word) from the juices (or like I like to call it, tender)......ok, I will fast forward....at the end of it all, my fingers are burnt up, Im mad at myself b/c I am mad at some lifeless chicken wings, and also b/c I let my sister, Halana hear me sound defeated by a simple dinner....After I 'get it together' I inspect every piece of chicken to make sure its the perfect kind of crispy and that it does not have any kind of fat on it (another pet peeve of his), etc, etc...
When Ty gets home, VOILA! He is grinning from ear to ear and the first bite, I stand there holding my breath hoping that it has passed the test of his tastebuds. As I see that contagious smile spread across his face, I think 'YES! I did it!!!' He confirms that they are 'PERFECT' (his words to be exact) and I walk back into the battlefield and smile my 'victory smile'.
But never, not once, does he know how much I HATE baking those darn wings. Its my little secret b/c I know if he knew, he would tell me to not even go through all the trouble of doing it. But, Ive learned that loving somebody is not supposed to be convenient. You can get burned sometimes, you can dread going through it, but if that person is worth it, you will find ways to get it done, regardless. Of course, Im still trying to master those wings without all the drama, but until then, Ill just keep my water on cold and my stick of butter on the counter.
Anyway, the other day, I was cooking this disasterous meal...how can it be so bad if Im just putting it in the oven? That too, I will explain. Ty is a simple man. Easygoing, loves everything I prepare, never complains, loves leftovers, the whole nine....but when it comes to his wings, they have to be PERFECT! Just the right amount of crisp, the perfect shade of brown, with a zest to go right along with it. So of course, wanting him to love every meal I make, I try to perfect it as much as I can. Well, every single time, I am almost cursing the creation of chicken! Ty never knows it, but behind the scenes, in my kitchen, its a true battle. Mind you, overseas, we dont have all the extra gadgets that we take for granted in the States, such as the BROIL dial.
Going back to his picky tendencies towards wings, the crispyness of it-that is. Ok, the first part of the meal is pretty simple. Put it in the oven and let it bake. Well, after so long, I have to start the hard part. I have to transport the wings from the dish onto another one. Let it bake for a little bit longer. Once they have started to create their own juices, I have to again, transport the wings onto another baking dish. (And yes, to answer any 'obvious' questions, I do use oven mits, I do use a fork, spatuala, etc....)
As I am turning over each and every wing, my fingers are dang near going through second degree burns. After baking in the dishes, I then put them in foil, inspecting every single one of them before placing them back in the oven. If you are a cook, you know some parts of the chicken can tend to get 'slimy' (Ty's word) from the juices (or like I like to call it, tender)......ok, I will fast forward....at the end of it all, my fingers are burnt up, Im mad at myself b/c I am mad at some lifeless chicken wings, and also b/c I let my sister, Halana hear me sound defeated by a simple dinner....After I 'get it together' I inspect every piece of chicken to make sure its the perfect kind of crispy and that it does not have any kind of fat on it (another pet peeve of his), etc, etc...
When Ty gets home, VOILA! He is grinning from ear to ear and the first bite, I stand there holding my breath hoping that it has passed the test of his tastebuds. As I see that contagious smile spread across his face, I think 'YES! I did it!!!' He confirms that they are 'PERFECT' (his words to be exact) and I walk back into the battlefield and smile my 'victory smile'.
But never, not once, does he know how much I HATE baking those darn wings. Its my little secret b/c I know if he knew, he would tell me to not even go through all the trouble of doing it. But, Ive learned that loving somebody is not supposed to be convenient. You can get burned sometimes, you can dread going through it, but if that person is worth it, you will find ways to get it done, regardless. Of course, Im still trying to master those wings without all the drama, but until then, Ill just keep my water on cold and my stick of butter on the counter.
Monday, January 5, 2009
God-dance
From the beginning of our relationship, it was understood that I LOVE to dance, HAVE to dance, and to not take that away from me. Ty understood how important that was to me, so he makes it a point to take me out to dance every so often or we just dance on our terrace, living room, wherever- just so I can get it out of my system! I remember one day while we were out dancing, I was grooving and doing my thing and it seemed as if Ty couldnt keep up (this is my version of the story). I ignored the first few times he through my rhythm off, but that fourth time, I had to do something. 'Either just stand there and watch me or do it like this!' is what I thought, but of course I didnt say that. I just grabbed his hands and led him in the direction I wanted to go and the motions I was trying to do. At first, he ignored my gesture and kept doing his own thing, but I was persistent and determined to 'two step' a couple of more hours that night, so I wasnt trying to turn it into a debate. Eventually, he caught on to what I was doing and surrendered his feet to me. As soon as he did that, it made the rhythm so much more smooth because he allowed me to take the lead. No more stepping on my feet or bumping me in the wrong direction or me rolling my eyes on the inside! lol As I had that funny moment today, 'GUIDANCE' popped in my mind.
When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesnt flow with the music, and everything is pretty uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. Its as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G", I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i"."God", "u" and "i" dance. God, you and I dance. Even after a simple memory of my husband and I, God still has a way of tugging at me and showing me things in the spiritual. During this moment in my life, I really am experiencing this dance with God, especially as it relates to Ty and I trying for a baby. Im not looking to ovulation kits, ovulation watches, special 'vitamins', etc. I know God is about to twirl me around and knock me off of my feet! And with that thought, I became willing to let God take the lead!
When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesnt flow with the music, and everything is pretty uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. Its as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G", I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i"."God", "u" and "i" dance. God, you and I dance. Even after a simple memory of my husband and I, God still has a way of tugging at me and showing me things in the spiritual. During this moment in my life, I really am experiencing this dance with God, especially as it relates to Ty and I trying for a baby. Im not looking to ovulation kits, ovulation watches, special 'vitamins', etc. I know God is about to twirl me around and knock me off of my feet! And with that thought, I became willing to let God take the lead!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year!
Ah! It is a new year! For some, it means starting over from scratch, wiping the slate clean- basically redeeming themselves from a whole year of mess ups, screw ups, disappointments, etc. I find that New Years day is much like every day of the week for me, of course without all of the fireworks, champagne, tons of phone calls and mass texts, however its parallel in the sense of having a fresh new start! Everyday I wake up, I ask for a renewal of my mind and forgiveness for my sins for the day before and possibly the ones I would make on that very day. I was talking to someone I hold very near and dear to my heart and they said that in 2009, they want a relationship with God. It made my heart smile b/c if you know this person, you would know it took a lot for them to say this! So, I was so pleased and my spirit was just a dancing! lol But it made me think about all of those who feel like they have to wait for the 'perfect' time to surrender their lives to Christ or the perfect situation. To be honest, any time is perfect to give your life to Him. We can always make up excuses or say, 'tomorrow is the day' but unfortunately, tomorrow isnt always promised. When you feel like God is tugging at your heart, dont put it off, accept it right then and everyday you can feel like its 'New Years' and be just as excited about the start of a new day! You can create your own 'fireworks' in the midst of your prayer time, your own memories when forming a relationship with God, and definitely a life of fulfillment and rewards! So, enjoy this great New Year, but dont forget about every new DAY you have been given a chance to be a friend of Gods! Love you!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Blessings
Sometimes I take a peek at a few other blogs, just to see what the topic of discussion is for that day. Some are pretty interesting and others are just....not worth reading sometimes. In the industry that we are in, you run across so many superficial, pretentious, 'Im all that' type of women. Fortunately, I havent been on a team with those types, BUT we run in the same web circle, so you do see them. Anyway, I remember one day I was reading a blog discussion titled something like, 'What new bag have you gotten lately?' Maybe its just me, but those kind of conversations, I try to steer clear from. Granted, who does NOT like nice things? I know I do! But, I dont have to discuss it. It doesnt consume me. I have so many friends that laugh at me b/c often times I can come across as super frugal and guess what? I DO NOT CARE! Whatever name brand I have on, Im going to think Im cute- regardless. I can make the cheapest looking thing look fly! ;) But seriously, I dont hide behind name brands. Now, dont get me wrong, I have some expensive things, but I dont have to flaunt it. I think one thing my friends do admire about me is the fact that I can get whatever I want, but Ive learned being a true steward over our finances is what really matters and I know God smiles at me when Im being cheap too! lol Anyway, one of my favorite songs right now is 'God in me' by Mary Mary. Ive attached the lyrics so you can take a look at what its about. I love it b/c it takes the focus off the material things to the bigger picture, the reward God blesses us with. He said He will reward the faithful and so when I hear this song, Im reminded I too have worked hard to get what I have!
Anyway, I just thought Id share this with ya!!!
I just wanna tell the truth mayne (5x)
Verse 1: Your so fly your so high Everbody around you trying to figure out why
Your so cool your win all the time
Everywhere you go man you get alot of shine
You draw like a magnet better yet I have it
Everything you wear people say they got have it
From the sweat suit to the white tee to the gucci
You can probably say people wanna get like me
Hook: But what they don't know is when you go home and get behind closed doors man you hit the floor and what they can't see is your on your knees
So the next time you get it just tell em
Chorus:It's the God in me (5x)y
You think I'm so fresh you think I'm so clean
You think I'm so sweet It's the God in me
Kiki:What is it you think you see
Verse 2: You see her style you think she nice
you look at her whip you say the whip tight
You look at her crib you thinks she's paid
you look at her life you think she's got it made
but everything she's got the girl's been given
She calls it a blessing but you call it living
When it comes to money she can be a hero
She writes them cheacks with a whole lot of zeros
Hook: But what they don't know is when you go home
and get behind closed doors man you hit the floor
and what they can't see is your on your knees
If you ask her she'll tell you
Chorus: It's the God in me (5x)
you think I'm so fresh you think I'm so clean
You think I'm so sweet It's the God in me
Kiki:What is it you think you seeKiki: What is it you think you see
when you see me, you see me
You don't know how much I praydon't know how much I gave
don't know how much I changed I'm just tryna explain
Chorus:It's the God in me (5x)
you think I'm so fresh you think I'm so clean
You think I'm so sweet It's the God in me Kiki:What is it you think you see
Heres the link so you can listen to it as you read the lyrics!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWq0BE7zYK8
Anyway, I just thought Id share this with ya!!!
I just wanna tell the truth mayne (5x)
Verse 1: Your so fly your so high Everbody around you trying to figure out why
Your so cool your win all the time
Everywhere you go man you get alot of shine
You draw like a magnet better yet I have it
Everything you wear people say they got have it
From the sweat suit to the white tee to the gucci
You can probably say people wanna get like me
Hook: But what they don't know is when you go home and get behind closed doors man you hit the floor and what they can't see is your on your knees
So the next time you get it just tell em
Chorus:It's the God in me (5x)y
You think I'm so fresh you think I'm so clean
You think I'm so sweet It's the God in me
Kiki:What is it you think you see
Verse 2: You see her style you think she nice
you look at her whip you say the whip tight
You look at her crib you thinks she's paid
you look at her life you think she's got it made
but everything she's got the girl's been given
She calls it a blessing but you call it living
When it comes to money she can be a hero
She writes them cheacks with a whole lot of zeros
Hook: But what they don't know is when you go home
and get behind closed doors man you hit the floor
and what they can't see is your on your knees
If you ask her she'll tell you
Chorus: It's the God in me (5x)
you think I'm so fresh you think I'm so clean
You think I'm so sweet It's the God in me
Kiki:What is it you think you seeKiki: What is it you think you see
when you see me, you see me
You don't know how much I praydon't know how much I gave
don't know how much I changed I'm just tryna explain
Chorus:It's the God in me (5x)
you think I'm so fresh you think I'm so clean
You think I'm so sweet It's the God in me Kiki:What is it you think you see
Heres the link so you can listen to it as you read the lyrics!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWq0BE7zYK8
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Abandoned? Not at all!
Just now I got the sudden urge to get up and type this particular post. Its 2 a.m. and my mind wouldnt let me sleep until I got this out. For some reason, I keep thinking about abandonment. Not in regards to my life right now, but to how it was before. Growing up, I thought I was a pretty normal girl. I did great in school, surrounded myself with positive and driven people, ambitious, happy-go-lucky, etc...I seemed to not fit the statistics of a 'Ward of the State'. When people found out about my past, they were in shock b/c I never threw myself pity parties or was never triggered by memories of past incidents and never responded in a hostile manner. And to this day, I thank God for protecting me and letting me lead a life of just a regular teenage girl (in some regards). Tonight I was going over a conversation Ty and I were having over lunch about the effects on children due to their parents mistakes and I answered him without thoroughly thinking it through, that I was NOT affected in any negative ways as a result of my childhood. He didnt really argue it because he sees how forgiving I am and how God has restored me with joy, peace, love, etc... So really, who can argue witht that? But for some reason, as I was trying to sleep a few moments ago, the thought came to mind.
Ok, I rememeber back when I was dating, I had great relationships! I mean, the guys would practically worship the ground I walked on. My family would joke and say, 'what kind of spell do you put on these guys?' I often got bored and broke a few hearts along the way. One day I met this 'fellow' (lol) and after only TWO MONTHS, we got married! (hey, I was 21) Yes, MARRIED! He was different from the guys before him. Not as confident or established, very soft spoken, very 'innocent' (sarcasm)so to speak. But what did draw me to him was his love for Christ AND his background mirrored mine to a 'T'! It was amazing (in that aspect)! I didnt feel like I had to make up explanations for my life, mom, dad, etc., because he was a byproduct of the same environment. We were both used to the instability of life. Moving here, going there, getting packed up in the middle of the night, being surrounded by the strangest of strangers, the whole nine. Just like mine, his mom left him for more 'recreational activities'. So, I guess you can say, what brought us together was the abandoned part of us. We knew once we spoke of marriage and said 'I do', it gave us a confidence that neither one of us would just get up and leave. It was our security blankets, our insurance. BUT, that very thing that caused us to get married, caused us to get divorced. Three long, draining, exhausting, HARD years later, it ended but the rest of my life really did begin. May sound cliche, but its the truth. Transitioning from one lifestlye to another was pretty difficult, I cant lie. Relocating back to my home state, looking for work, starting all over- it was so overwhelming! Especially being a divorcee, that was tough for me b/c I had fought for a marriage that wasnt supposed to be in the first place. Once I moved back to Texas, feelings of abandonment really surfaced. I felt betrayed, broken, lost, confused...a ton of things! But, all I could do was cry out to God and trust that He knew what He was doing. For those three years that I was in that marriage, I was the sole (and ONLY) breadwinner, worked my butt off at a job and at home. I wanted to go back to school, but there was no real support system there. Once I got back to Texas, God blessed me with some for real strength. Strength I didnt even know I had. Within a month, I was enrolled in school, had myself a cozy little apartment, had left a temp job after two weeks to be placed in a salary paying job, with all the fixings. 401k, health benefits, paid vacations, etc. I saw going through all of that, I was not alone. All the dreams I had, God had put them there and orchestrated a way for me to accomplish what I knew I could in the beginning. He brought me out of a bad situation, but let me go through it so I can get to what really mattered. Once I took my eyes off of my problems and fixed them on Him, I was able to SEE things so much better. The times when I wanted to reach out to a friend and cry, I didnt. I used that time to call on God. From the outside, it may have appeared that I was alone, but in my heart and in my Spirit, I felt God every step of the way, regardless to how difficult it was. I walked and remained in His will and He blessed me for it. And now, as I look to the left of me and see my Phenomenal Husband sleeping like a baby, I thank God for those hard times. I thank God for that lesson in my first marriage. I thank God for revealing to me how strong I really am, and I thank God for choosing me. Somebody had to have this testimony and Im glad it was me!
Ok, I rememeber back when I was dating, I had great relationships! I mean, the guys would practically worship the ground I walked on. My family would joke and say, 'what kind of spell do you put on these guys?' I often got bored and broke a few hearts along the way. One day I met this 'fellow' (lol) and after only TWO MONTHS, we got married! (hey, I was 21) Yes, MARRIED! He was different from the guys before him. Not as confident or established, very soft spoken, very 'innocent' (sarcasm)so to speak. But what did draw me to him was his love for Christ AND his background mirrored mine to a 'T'! It was amazing (in that aspect)! I didnt feel like I had to make up explanations for my life, mom, dad, etc., because he was a byproduct of the same environment. We were both used to the instability of life. Moving here, going there, getting packed up in the middle of the night, being surrounded by the strangest of strangers, the whole nine. Just like mine, his mom left him for more 'recreational activities'. So, I guess you can say, what brought us together was the abandoned part of us. We knew once we spoke of marriage and said 'I do', it gave us a confidence that neither one of us would just get up and leave. It was our security blankets, our insurance. BUT, that very thing that caused us to get married, caused us to get divorced. Three long, draining, exhausting, HARD years later, it ended but the rest of my life really did begin. May sound cliche, but its the truth. Transitioning from one lifestlye to another was pretty difficult, I cant lie. Relocating back to my home state, looking for work, starting all over- it was so overwhelming! Especially being a divorcee, that was tough for me b/c I had fought for a marriage that wasnt supposed to be in the first place. Once I moved back to Texas, feelings of abandonment really surfaced. I felt betrayed, broken, lost, confused...a ton of things! But, all I could do was cry out to God and trust that He knew what He was doing. For those three years that I was in that marriage, I was the sole (and ONLY) breadwinner, worked my butt off at a job and at home. I wanted to go back to school, but there was no real support system there. Once I got back to Texas, God blessed me with some for real strength. Strength I didnt even know I had. Within a month, I was enrolled in school, had myself a cozy little apartment, had left a temp job after two weeks to be placed in a salary paying job, with all the fixings. 401k, health benefits, paid vacations, etc. I saw going through all of that, I was not alone. All the dreams I had, God had put them there and orchestrated a way for me to accomplish what I knew I could in the beginning. He brought me out of a bad situation, but let me go through it so I can get to what really mattered. Once I took my eyes off of my problems and fixed them on Him, I was able to SEE things so much better. The times when I wanted to reach out to a friend and cry, I didnt. I used that time to call on God. From the outside, it may have appeared that I was alone, but in my heart and in my Spirit, I felt God every step of the way, regardless to how difficult it was. I walked and remained in His will and He blessed me for it. And now, as I look to the left of me and see my Phenomenal Husband sleeping like a baby, I thank God for those hard times. I thank God for that lesson in my first marriage. I thank God for revealing to me how strong I really am, and I thank God for choosing me. Somebody had to have this testimony and Im glad it was me!
Define the time
You have heard it said, "Time heals everything." I have two questions for you. First, who said that? Second, does time really heal everything? It boggles my mind to think of all the times that I have believed something because "they said it," not even knowing if "they" are a reliable source! I would like to believe that time does heal everything but I have come to realize the truth that time really does not heal everything. What about you, has time healed your wounds?
Think about the first person who broke your heart or the person that walked out on you. Did time heal that wound? What about the parent that disappointed you time after time or the boss who never saw your full potential? Did time heal your disappointment or make you believe that you had worth?
For me, time only puts a band-aid on the injury. All it takes is a memory of an offense or hurt to replace the band-aid with a dagger that goes straight through my heart.
What pain have you hoped time would heal? Is it fear, worry, anger or the inability to forgive? Are you trying to cover a broken heart of rejection or grief?
Have you been inspired or determined to change, only to find yourself living the same way, walking the same painful road, or feeling the same destructive emotions? If this describes how you feel, you are not alone! I have walked in those shoes and so has practically every other person who is reading this.
I have discovered a significant truth in life. There is a huge difference between an "inspirational moment" and a "defining moment." An inspirational moment is when we feel motivated to change. A defining moment is when we actually do change. The difference between the two is enormous.
With best intentions and a willing heart, many of us have had inspired moments that failed to develop into defining ones. Our best human effort left us feeling defeated and doubtful that our lives would ever change for the better. That is why we need Jesus!
The birth of Jesus was a defining moment that changed the course of history for this world, but more importantly, it was a defining moment for you. Jesus came to earth not only to give you eternal life, but to give you freedom (Galatians 5:1) and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the things that hold you back from having the life for which you were created. The same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is available to you to break down ANY stronghold or hurt in your life (2 Corinthians 10:4). All you have to do is ask God to help you.
During this Holiday season, I pray that every time you are reminded of the birth of Christ, you will be reminded of the message that Jesus came to earth for you! He came to unchain you, to set you free so you could fly, and to open your eyes to your incredible worth! Jesus has special gift for you this year, a defining moment wrapped and waiting for you. Will you receive it?
Think about the first person who broke your heart or the person that walked out on you. Did time heal that wound? What about the parent that disappointed you time after time or the boss who never saw your full potential? Did time heal your disappointment or make you believe that you had worth?
For me, time only puts a band-aid on the injury. All it takes is a memory of an offense or hurt to replace the band-aid with a dagger that goes straight through my heart.
What pain have you hoped time would heal? Is it fear, worry, anger or the inability to forgive? Are you trying to cover a broken heart of rejection or grief?
Have you been inspired or determined to change, only to find yourself living the same way, walking the same painful road, or feeling the same destructive emotions? If this describes how you feel, you are not alone! I have walked in those shoes and so has practically every other person who is reading this.
I have discovered a significant truth in life. There is a huge difference between an "inspirational moment" and a "defining moment." An inspirational moment is when we feel motivated to change. A defining moment is when we actually do change. The difference between the two is enormous.
With best intentions and a willing heart, many of us have had inspired moments that failed to develop into defining ones. Our best human effort left us feeling defeated and doubtful that our lives would ever change for the better. That is why we need Jesus!
The birth of Jesus was a defining moment that changed the course of history for this world, but more importantly, it was a defining moment for you. Jesus came to earth not only to give you eternal life, but to give you freedom (Galatians 5:1) and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the things that hold you back from having the life for which you were created. The same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is available to you to break down ANY stronghold or hurt in your life (2 Corinthians 10:4). All you have to do is ask God to help you.
During this Holiday season, I pray that every time you are reminded of the birth of Christ, you will be reminded of the message that Jesus came to earth for you! He came to unchain you, to set you free so you could fly, and to open your eyes to your incredible worth! Jesus has special gift for you this year, a defining moment wrapped and waiting for you. Will you receive it?
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