They Watching

Great Day Gentel Readers!

So, today’s blog is brought you by the words “they are watching you”.

Over the the 4th of July holiday I ran into a person I went to college with. In our conversations I learned so much about him that I did not know. I was honored that he shared a personal testimony with me. During our exchange I told him about my own testimony. When I told him, his response was…. “Man, girl you spoke that thing into existence “. Now, I’m trying not to look shock as he hug me to congratulate me on the manifestation of the testimony.

I know you wondering, why were you shocked? Well, it is because I never knew he was watching me. I never knew he saw my struggles, the tears, the faith, and my desperation to trust the GOD process. It really blew my mind! I hold him in high regards. (I do not think he knows that). He was so sweet to me as a freshman and always made an effort to speak to me on campus no matter how big he got or who was around him.

As we part ways he asked me to keep him in my prayers (which I do) and told me how excited he was.

Meditating on that moment made me realize that their are people watching me. They are encouraged by the process of my testimony and truly will root for me when I share my wins.

I wonder how times how you missed the opportunity to encourage someone else because you think your testimony has no purpose, power, or value beyond you.

Today, I encourage you to consult with the Holy Spirit, and ask him to reveal to you who you need to share you testimony with.

Prayer: Daddy thank you for reminding us that the process and finish work of our testimony is not only for us, but for those watching us. Daddy continues to work in favor of those wondering is the process worth the work. Encourage those losing hope, desiring to give up, and overwhelmed by the discomfort of blind obedience. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

The Good Work of Faith

Great Day Reader!

Today, while reading my Bible plan in the Bible app, a scripture that I have heard several times in multiple translations stuck out to me.  

“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works”. James 2:26 NLT 

The part that stuck out the most was, “faith is dead without good works.” So, many people think the work of faith is an action of productivity, and this may be due to the word work. As humans, we see work as a productivity,  measurable action that is calculated by time,  talent,  and in this case, obedience. Yet, the revelation I got this more is not the work Daddy is talking about.  The word work (Holy Spirit insight) means to pause and make capacity for interruptions.  In other words, Daddy is calling us to do something that’s outside our routine, checklist, or even scope of practice.  He is calling us to do the most uncomfortable thing so the prayers of others may be answered. 

When was the last time you heard someone you love call you in the middle of your busyness, and you took the time not only to listen, but provide the solution without them asking? This is your faith at work. It’s being ok the inconvenience interruption from the Father to restore or establish someone else’s faith. 

Prayer: Daddy, help us make room for faith work during our busyness. May we not see the moment of a pause and interruption as an inconvenience, but as a moment for your light to shine through us.  May we never forget that the true work of faith is found in your interruptions and our obedience. 

In Jesus’ Name. AMEN 

And It’s A New Year!

Great Day DDC Readers!!!

It’s been a while I know and every year I say I am going to do better with my blogging and engagement. Life has been somewhat a roller coaster in 2021. A lot of loss and a lot of life-changes that equate to grief. First of all, let me first say HAPPY NEW YEAR! Second, please check out season 1 of my newest project with my sister Jesus +Therapy, Sis Podcast ok, now that the announcements are out the way let’s get down to business.

The scripture that has been running through my head is something that I am sure most of you have heard and/or read “But don’t dwell on the past; don’t concentrate on what happened back then. Just look at something new I’m going to do now! In fact, it’s started already. Can’t you see it? Yes, I’m making a way through the wilderness, rivers in the desert”! FBV This bible verse speaks volumes on what our mindsets should be in 2022. For the last two years we have dealt with covid and can we be honest it ain’t going nowhere (yeah I know what I said and how I said it; however, you know the disclaimer, this blog is imperfect in grammar and open in heart thoughts). We are so caught up in trying to navigate the disappearance of it, that we are missing the moments of GOD’s newness in it. So, let’s break this scripture down so it can be a guide on how we are to navigate through 2022. 

1) We can’t allow the past to be the guide or map of our current. The past will always come up and the memories of the past may seem more powerful than present moments, however, the present is the gift we have to focus on. Let me summarize, don’t miss your growth because you think you have not learned from your past.

2) Focus on the new things that GOD is doing. Don’t allow your old to outweigh the new. 

3) Change your response and perception. Your ability to be open to a new vocabulary and to see things through GOD’s eyes will create a better perspective of what life really looks like. 

4) Be prepared to win! Winning comes with a process, don’t allow the process to discourage you from reaching and enjoying the win.

5) Don’t get comfortable. You should maintain a posture of discomfort at all times as you go through this year. If you feel yourself getting comfortable, do something uncomfortable so you will not stop growing in the things of GOD.

Prayer: Daddy thank you for this new year. Help us to be in a place of trusting you will all things and being ok with the new things you will do this year. Help us to see things from your perspective and not our own. In Jesus Name. AMEN!

The Hebrew Boys Faith

Listen I don’t know about you, but the weight of waiting has been heavy on me lately. The wait of waiting on the unanswered prayers and deepest cries of my heart desires. I was talking to my mentor about how I was feeling and how the weight of waiting was turning into depression. I found myself paralyzed and lame in the thoughts of my wait. After telling me the feelings I felt were ok, my mentor hit me with a question that hurt me and arrested me at the same time. She said “Shawndrika,  what if what you have been waiting on never manifest in the earth? Will you respond with the faith of the 3 Hebrew boys…Even if He doesn’t do it we still know He can?” (Daniel 3:17-18) I looked at her crazy as tears fell from my eyes to know this statement of faith could be my reality. Though I felt broken at the thought of this reality, the Holy Spirit arrested me at the same time. He reminded me that when the 3 Hebrew boys made that statement it wasn’t  from a place of doubt or hopelessness but, from a place of true surrendering. They were saying to Daddy even if we don’t see you manifest the situation in our favor like we want you to, you will still come through and get the glory out of  our lives. That’s the key…Daddy getting the glory!! What you are praying and waiting for may not manifest or come in the package you want, however, if you surrender it to Daddy…it will manifest His glory in your life and draw you closer to Him. I hope this word and revelation reminds you that the wait is worth it! Remember the weight is there for you to surrender not to hold.
Prayer: Daddy we thank you that even in our heaviest moments you wait for us to surrender that you may get the glory out of our lives. We yield to your will today as we wait for you to manifest your glory. We take heart that what we are waiting on may not come in the package we want or the time we think we want it, however, it will come on time and work in our favor. In Jesus Name. AMEN!

I Don’t Care

Hey Readers!!!

I know it’s been a while and I promised once a month you would hear from me, BUT LIFE!! Those two words alone can preach a sermon that reaches nations!!! But we will talk about that one later.

Today as I was looking at my Facebook Memories and I ran across a post that I wrote when I was transitioning from being married to dealing with my divorce, to being single again. In this season in my life, I was in a place where I was nonchalant about a lot of things, including my relationship with Daddy. We were just getting reacquainted with each other and I was in a place where everything that could happen, happened!! I was lost and I had developed an attitude and even verbiage of “I Don’t Care.” So, here is my confession and I hope it helps someone. We will talk more about it after you read it.

Confession: I am really in an I don’t care mood. I don’t know why I feel like this and I am sitting in my office trying to shake it off… But then I hear the Holy Spirit says to me  I don’t care is not a bad place in the right timing… Let me say that again “I don’t care is not a bad place in the right timing.”(I can shout right there) I know you are saying what does that mean Shawndrika? If I am trusting GOD to be the supplier of all my needs, the lifter of my head, and I am doing my part… I don’t care if I have to wait. I don’t care if I have to be single until he finds me. I don’t care if people don’t understand my actions. I don’t care if I have to cry to get through the day. I don’t care if my communication with GOD causes me to miss moments that others think are important. I don’t care if I have to sow, separate myself, or even endure until He comes. I don’t care if I have to be silent while people talk about me. I don’t care if it hurts now, my Daddy will heal me later. I DON’T CARE!!! When you get to a place where you Don’t Care in the right timing then you will realize the freedom in trusting the Father. Learn how to not care in the right manner and watch GOD turn things around. #notcaringwiththerightspririt #idontcareaboutthecost #itsworthit

Whew!!! Were you blessed by that? I know I was!!! It reminded me again the energy we put in caring about things that we can’t control, out of our control, and beyond our control. It also reminded me that there are times in our lives where we put so much energy in caring about people, situations, and circumstances, that we miss Daddy caring for us. (Oh, someone is going to get that in a minute) we care so much about the next that we can’t enjoy the now. Today do me a favor get you a healthy “I Don’t Care,” attitude and let Daddy care for you.

Prayer: Daddy, help us have an “I Don’t Care” attitude when comes to things that you are taking care of. Let us gain more access to you as we “Don’t Care,” for the things of this world or the things people say about us. Help to Don’t Care for the things you don’t care about… Like sin, idols, and being disobedient. Thank you, Daddy, that we “Don’t Care” in a healthy way! In Jesus Name. AMEN!

The Power of the Roar

Great Day Readers!

I am so excited about the revelation of today’s blog.  Sunday, we had a guest pastor come in and minister to us.  He came from the topic: Is There a Cause? I love how he used the story of David to demonstrate the cause to ignore the doubters and be reminded of the promises and covenant of GOD. But, what got me was the knowledge he gave about the roar of a lion. He stated that the roar of a lion could be heard five miles from the place where the lion roared. He stated that the lion’s roar is so powerful and loud that it paralyzes his prey, making it easy for him to kill. OOOOOOOOO!!!

Can we take that concept and apply it to the supernatural world? More importantly to the enemy’s effect on our life… Look, 1Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” ASV

Can we examine that scripture a little more and apply it to the fact I stated at the begin about the lion’s roar?  It says the devil is as a roaring lion. (Pause) I don’t think you saw what I did. It says he is LIKE A ROARING LION… Ok here is the revelation I need you to grasp. If he is like a roaring lion, that means his roar really doesn’t carry the power, weight, and authority of a real lion. See it may sound like it’s paralyzing and that there is no way of escape, but the reality is… It’s just the roar of a lion come from the mouth of a kitten. (Had to give you a visual) That’s why fear can feel seem so real. The enemy is a great imitator but not an originator. He has smokes and mirrors that create the perfect atmosphere to paralyze you in fear, insecurity, doubt, depression, disappointment, frustration, and negative thinking. See, here is the thing about the enemy, he’s good at his job and perfects it daily. Where we go wrong is being caught up in his perfection. We forget that our Daddy is the creator of all things and that we have the authority over the enemy. His roar can’t paralyze something that was meant to hunt him. He is the prey we are the predators. He can’t paralyze us!!! But, we forget our position, our place, purpose, and title, and this is how we become paralyzed and become his prey. 

I know you are wondering… How do I get over the enemy’s roar? How do I stop being the prey and become the predator? Simple, focus on the right roar. Oh yes, there is another lion whose roar is greater than the enemy. He’s called the lion of Judah. Revelation 5:5 says, “But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The Moral of this blog is simple: Stop listening to the roar of the enemy and focus on the roar of Judah. It is the roar of Judah that causes you to be victorious in all things, including the attacks and roars of the enemy.

Prayer: Daddy right now we thank you that we are no longer paralyzed by the roar of the enemy. We are so focused on the roar of you through the lion of Judah. We thank you that we are paralyzed in your blessings, overflow, love, peace, joy, and grace and mercy. We seek to be the lions that roar to the enemy your word, promises, and will causing him to paralyzed. In Jesus Name! AMEN!!!

Good Grief

Hey DDC Readers,


This DDC blog is something different. Today I want to address grief and the spirits that come with it. I want to help someone that is not only dealing with the grief, due to the loss of a loved one, but due to life changes. Let me put on my therapist hat and educate on grief. Grief is not the result of a loss of a loved one alone, it comes with life changes good, bad, and ugly. I always give the example of how someone that lose something like their keys goes through the 5 stages of grief while looking for them. (*the stages of grief are not in a 1,2,3 format.  The five stages of grief are: 1) Denial, 2) Bargaining, 3) Anger, 4) Depression, and 5) Acceptance  You can jump through stages and repeat them often) When you first lose your keys you may be in denial. you may make statements like ” I know left the keys right here.” We may find ourselves bargaining, especially when someone else is in the house. “Look, whoever moved my keys, please just put them back.” After, that statement we may find ourselves angry and frustrated, especially after retracing our steps. We will say things like, “I know my keys were right here, who moved them?” Because the anger can truly be overwhelming we can get depressed, especially when we have exhausted all resolution and actions. Lastly, we will get to the acceptance stage. We will make a statement like “Oh well, I guess I lost my keys.” At that moment we find the keys and the grief moment is up. We don’t realize that we have experience grief due to the fact that we bounce back so easily from it   I hope that this blog helps everyone that reads it and it helps you move from grief to good grief and healing.

Post:

“As a counselor, my job is to help those in need and remind myself to be a rock so that the person on the other side of the conversation can be vulnerable and get what they need to get out… I pray daily GOD use me to be your vessel that you may get the glory out of the gift you have given me as a counselor. Well, this month has been one of the months where I really need GOD to manifest that prayer 10x. For some reason, the holidays seem like an open door for the enemy to come in like a flood. But can I tell those that have lost a loved one, remembering a loved one, grieving, grieving over a marriage gone wrong, feeling lost, depressed, numb, distraught, discouraged, confused, in pain, bewildered, frustrated, negative, and drain something… He will… HE will remove, restore, renew, heal, protect, provide, pour out, give victory, rescue, and save you in a breath of our Yes and an action of your surrendering! I don’t care what it looks like or how you feel.. My DADDY is THE on-time GOD he says he is. Not only that, he will overtake your desires, depression, and desperation with his glory, presence, love, peace, and joy. You will survive the holidays because your purpose is not over. Pick your head up, cry your tears, scream to the top of your lungs… but take of the ashes of mourning and put on the garment of praise… If you leave it on long enough you will start to fill the effects. #gottoresponddifferently #thisishispurpose.”


What do you do when your message from 5 years ago still holds weight even now? You share it! This message has more value now than then. I have seen my friends struggle through the holidays, my married friends say goodbye to their long marriages. I have tried to encourage my friends to keep moving as they grieve the loss of their loved ones or marriage. I am here to share this message with them. Because in this season you can’t allow the enemy to take away your joy even in their physical absence. As long as you live they live!! Don’t allow your want to grief hinder you from your need to heal. I am going to say that again Don’t allow YOUR WANT to grief hinder YOUR NEED to heal. Being paralyzed in the moment of their absence will only give the enemy more room in your life. Yes, life will be hard without them, but it doesn’t make it impossible. I always encourage those that have lost loved ones to do three things. 1) create a night of memories with family and friends. This night should not be a night where you reflect on the person’s absence but on their effects. What can you do make sure that their legacy lives? What I love about great leaders that have gone on before is that even in their death they still live. You can do the same with your loved ones. 2) Create a tradition that allows you to incorporate new family memories. Creating a new norm is not easy but it’s doable. 3) Don’t fake the funk! It’s ok to grieve, cry, get mad and/or angry, but you can’t stay there. You can’t make statements like: “I am not going to make it through the holidays.” “I just want to be by myself.” or “You don’t understand.” Why? Because you can make it, one step, moment, and second at a time. (it’s an everyday process), You can’t be by yourself, because that will cause you to be paralyzed in your grief. Last, everyone may not understand, but there is someone around you that does and wants to be there for you. So, this season I need you all to grieve yes, but let’s grieve in the direction of healthy grief and not unhealthy grief. Let’s do our loved ones the justice of living because they would not want it any other way.

When it comes to other life-changing events apply the same three steps but add one, let yourself heal. Don’t be a shame of your brokenness, remind yourself that you are in the process towards your wholeness.

Prayer: Daddy, I thank you for every reader that will read this blog. I thank you that you will heal them in the area of grief and brokenness. That you will manifest your peace, joy, love, and comfort in their lives as they continue to deal with the life changes that cause them to experience the process and emotions of grief. I pray that when they read this, they will become free and that everything that was holding them back from experiencing good grief is loose off of them and sent to a dry place. I thank you that as of today, they will experience the healing process of good grief. In JESUS Name. AMEN!!!

 

Good+Grief+Logo+FOR+REAL+REAL

I Expect The New Now

DDC Readers,

We are weeks away from 2019 and I am still trying to get into 2018. I know that’s bad, but I still feel like Daddy has something that He needs to do in 2018. With everything going on in the world, I really feel like He is waiting for someone to expect something from Him without waiting for the new year to arrive. I am that someone. In a message that I ministered at my church, I told the people that we get so caught up in waiting for the words “Happy New Year”, that we missed the newness that Daddy is doing in our present. I love how he put it in Isaiah 43:18-19 (I am paraphrasing) He says. “forget all that I have done because I am doing a new thing”… Then He asked the question, “Don’t you see it”? So let me go back, to give you the background of what is going on before we get to verses 18 and 19. So, in verses, 1-17 Daddy is telling the children or Israel what He has done for them, what they have done to Him, and the consequences of their actions. In other words, He is listing the history of their relationship with each other. By verse 18, He tells them to not dwell on the past because, in verse 19,  He is about to show them something new. From verse 19 until the end of the chapter He speaks of the new things that He is going to do and how they should be in a place of expecting, preparing, and experiencing the new now.

That’s where I am when I say I am trying to get into 2018. I want to leave the first part of 2018 behind and enjoy the new that Daddy is doing now. I want to be in a place where I am not stuck on what He did that I miss what He is doing. But, can I be honest that’s where a lot of us are. We love the fact that we have a track record with Daddy, but we forget that He is just like the energizer bunny… “He keeps going and going”.  I know you are wondering… What’s the moral of this blog? Well, good Question… The Moral of this blog is this: Dwelling on what He did will place us in three positions: 1) The looking back position. Looking back causes paralyzation. Genesis 19:26 we see that Lot’s wife turn into a pillar of salt when she looked back. Which resulted in her being paralyzed in that position for life. 2) The Reminder position. This position tells us to remember what GOD has done but never expecting Him to do anything else. That’s why in Isiaih 43:19 He says, “Do you not see it”? which brings me to the last position 3) The blind position. There are times where we can be so blinded by the new that we can’t see the now. When it comes to this position I am reminded of Sarah and Abraham.  How when Sarah got the word that they would be pregnant and it did not happen when she wanted it too, she took matters into her own hands and created something new.  But, she missed the opportunity to trust Daddy and  His timing. Had Sarah not been so blinded by timing then she would have enjoyed the process of the new.

Prayer:  Daddy, thank you that you allow us the opportunity to enjoy the new things that you are doing in our lives. We pray that you will help us to never look back on your past track record with us that we aren’t able to move forward in what you doing through, too, and for us. We pray that you will help us to remember that you do something new daily and we can’t get stuck on yesterday’s new in our now. We pray that you will help us to wait and enjoy the process of the now, that we don’t become blinded by the new things we are expected from you later. In JESUS Name…AMEN!!

P.S.  I flunked #bloglikecrazy2018. Between motivation and schedule, it was not going to work. But guess what? It taught me that I need to pass myself and maybe even start my blogs in October and have them ready in November… I don’t know but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe next year!

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