Emotional Seeds

This virus called Corona has truly turned our world upside down. It has no target audience, no cultural difference, no area of focus, and no economic status. When I tell you that we were and are in this together we are. We have seen many die, however, we have also seen many recoveries from this virus as well. We currently live in the unknown as many states slowly begin to open back up and try to create a sense of normalcy. We live now in a world where we have distanced ourselves to save lives, however, this same distance is causing others to die internal with the results of external symptoms. With all that being said I want to challenge us to do something that was placed on my heart to do during this time of famine and uncertainties.

During my meditation time this past week, I found myself asking the question I feel all believers have been asking… GOD, how do we end this? What do we need to do to get back to a place of normalcy? I am sure like me and others you have struggled with the inability to gather at your local church and fellowship with fellow believers, or perhaps during this time you desire to have that fellowship because you want a better relationship with GOD. There are so many things that we need answers to and have questions about. Let’s go back to what I was talking about… During my meditation time with GOD, He told me that so many people are sowing financial seeds (which is a good thing if you have it to sow. I truly encourage you to sow in this area, especially during a time of famine), however, one seed that we have yet to really address that is need during this time of famine… (Let me pause and tell you why it’s a time of famine. It is a time of famine because we are lacking the natural resources and flow of those resources to meet the needs of the people… hence why states are trying to open up that the flow of some economic wealth can come into the state and country. This is the reason I am saying this is a time of famine. Things that were once easy to obtain. (tissue, paper towels, Clorox, Lysol, etc. are no longer easy to obtain) ) Ok, no more interruptions back to the reason behind this blog. (this is why I have to start blogging more…lol) GOD told me that in this season we have to sow emotional seeds. Now I know you are wonder….What are emotional seeds? Emotional seeds are: love, joy, and peace… A.K.A. some of the fruits of the spirit. These seeds are seeds that will not only produce great fruit in the lives of others but also produce great fruit in your life. The fruit of favor, blessings, wisdom, peace, and love. See during a time of famine, no one is looking for a harvest. They are looking for produce. They want the end results, not the seeds.  So, this means that no one will mess with the soil of your seeds. No one will uproot it or cause it to die before it produces your fruit. In summary… “This is the best time to plant seeds, no one will be able to taint it.”

My challenge to you today as we continue to find a new norm during and after this virus is to plant some emotional seeds. The need for their fruit will be in demand and is in demand as you read this. People need the connection of the human touch. However, due to the season that we are in, that same touch that use to heal now kills. Now we have to find a way to produce the same results in a new way and that’s through sowing emotional seeds. Now I forgot to tell you how you sow these seeds. You sow them through text messages of encouragement, zoom video calls of listening, phone calls of support and love, letters of hope, and laughter of memories. Listening we have enough bad news to deal with, it’s time that we pursue the heart of Daddy’s joy in this season.

Prayer: Daddy, thank you for the opportunity to sow emotional seeds into people that I am connected to and even strangers. I understand that we are living in a time of famine and uncertainty and the best thing I can do is make myself available to you. Daddy, help me be the best seed sower during this time of famine. Let me be bold enough to love hard, become grateful in all things, and check on those I think are strong. Daddy, help me be open to accept emotional seeds as I sow them. Help me to maintain balance and never pour out on empty. In Jesus Name AMEN!

I really hope this blog blesses you during these uncertain times. Please know that your physical and your mental health is truly important. If you feel like you need help in the areas of your mental health. Please text the word Villiage to 205-660-0376, to be connected to a mental health expert. This is the perfect time to get everything you put off in order. #noexcuses #mentalhealthawarenessmonth

I Am Over IT!

Daddy, I am over it! The heartache, the frustration, the cycles, the relationships, the rollercoaster ride of emotions, the debt, the worry, the stress, the fear, the disappointment, the failures, setbacks, and setups. I AM OVER IT!!!

This is the conversation that I had a few days ago with Daddy as I sat in my living room crying and stressing over the bill collectors calling me, worrying about how I am going to pay, this and that. This is the mindset I had when I thought about the investment I poured into so many relationships and friendships. This is even the mindset I had when it came to church too. I was OVER IT!!!

Have you ever been there? To the point, you were over everything that affected your life in such a negative way? I mean to the point you even contemplated taking your life? Well, that was me. Yep, this is a transparent moment. One that I think plenty people have but are ashamed to admit. I mean who wants to be in the position of showing that they trust GOD and then turning around and saying life is not worth living anymore?

This is probably going to be a real transparent moment for me because I have not told anyone, but you, my readers this.  I have been keeping these things bottled, masked, and hidden. I mean I am a licensed therapist and minister, how does it sound and look for me to be speaking or thinking suicidal thoughts? But, there I was only a week ago in my living room trying to Netflix and chill and these were my thoughts.

But, guess what? The same things that I just told Daddy that I was over, are the same things that He was trying to use to get me to my next. UGH!! Don’t you hate it when Daddy uses the things you hate to get you to your next? How He uses issues, situations, circumstances, and failure to show you how to grow. To birth out new assignments, ideas, and gifts? How He takes your constant complaining and creates a moment for you to experience His glory and presence?

I hate it, but it’s in those same moments that I realize how much GOD is  I AM! I AM is over it, and I AM is in it. He takes over and uses His strength to create new beginnings for us to be in Him and over IT … The IT is us. We are the IT!!! I mean the IT is our…..will, word, and way.  It is our ability and desires to want to operate in our strength, mindset, and emotions.

But how do we get over the IT? By allowing Daddy to be it. I was reminded of the game tag. How the object of the game when being IT, is to tag as many people as you can before they get to the base. That’s what Daddy wants to do. He wants to tag as many of your problems before they get to the base of your mind and you feel defeated instead of victorious.  That’s why I John 5:4 says “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith”.

So today do me a favor join me in playing a game of tag. Let your problems run but allow Daddy to be IT!

Prayer: Daddy, thank you that you have already told us that you will handle all that concerns us. We thank you that even when it seems like our problems are weighing us down to the point we want to give up on life, we will tag you and allow you to be it. You are the source of our strength and everything that we need to get through every moment of our lives. We thank you for being IT. In JESUS name. Amen!

Holiday Grief Encouragement Edition

Wow what a year right? I never thought that in my years in the mental health profession that I would be experiencing so much holiday grief. I am always educating my clients on how to deal with their grief in a healthy way and ways to get through their grief without being in a place of isolation, depression, and most importantly silence. Today I have come to share some encouragement as I am able to identify with being a griever and  a person that helps with grief. It’s amazing how all the things that you learned about the area of grief is hard to apply when you are in the process of grief. Now before I go into my encouragement let me just educate you on grief. Grief happens everyday in your life. If you lose your keys and they are not where you thought you put them when you are ready for them you go through the stages of grief which are: Denial, Barging, Anger,Depression, Acceptance. This is not a step by step process you can go from denial straight into acceptance skipping the others then back to barging.  But how does losing keys even come close to grief. Well let me explain… Say you were looking for your keys and they are not where you put them, because you are convince that they should be there you are in denial that they could be any where else. After you realize they are not where you put them you go searching in different places analyzing where they could be this is your barging stage. After looking and searching for what seems to be hours you start entering into your anger state.  Once you get over your anger you now start to be in a depression moment thinking you will never find your keys again, then it happens either you stumble upon them or someone finds them for you and when this happen you enter your acceptance stage. Get it?!? Good now let’s apply that same concept to the lost of a love one or thing (i.e. job, relationship, self-confidence, etc.) Say you had a love one that was sick and you knew their was no bouncing back. Well it seems to you that they are getting better and show signs of improvement,  then they become sick again and this time worst,  because you have been here before and they have gotten better you become in Denial about them being too sick to come back. After this  the medical staff tells you that they only have a certain time to live you then start to bargain. Now this can be within yourself, family, or  Daddy. After this you go into the anger state because you see that Daddy is not healing the way you think he should and death is the result of their illness. After realizing the death of your love one you then become depressed from their absence. After time in depression you realize that there are things that you can do to preserve their legacy and life and you do those things, which pushes you into acceptance. But a year after their death you find yourself depressed on their death date, and you now feel the steps of grief beginning.  So here is my encouragement to you when you feel the steps of grief coming through:

  1. Speak up… Silence will manifest itself physically if you do not deal with it. You find yourself sick with something the doctor can’t cure or figure out what’s wrong.
  2. Laugh… This is easier said than done, but is necessary to your healing process, The Bible says that laughter does the heart good like medicine. So take you a dose
  3. Connect with people that know your heart. Their are people in your circle that know that the holidays are hard for you and they are willing and ready to be their for you.
  4. Be open. It goes with one, but this goes a little deeper, this means that you have to want the help that is being offered to you. You are not a burden, or even getting on their nerves they know what you need, they are just waiting on you to ask for it.
  5. Have a memorial… This can be done with or without family. You can light a candle, decorate a tree or wreath, do a particular act that the person was known for, share pictures of great moments, or you can go celebrate that persons. But whatever you do, do not isolate yourself.
  6. Ask for help… this can be the only time you don’t have it together and that is fine, but know there are people willing to help you through this tough time, but they don’t want to push the help, they just waiting on your cue to move.

I hope these things help and I hope you understand that holiday grief is ok, if you handle it in a healthy way.

 

 

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