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!
Look at me posting three posts in one month!!! LOL This is going to be a good year. The other morning during my quiet time I got a revelation about GOD. The revelation didn’t make sense until I started thinking about one particular scripture…Psalms 23:4 “Even when I walk THROUGH the darkest valley, I will not be afraid (NLT). That word THROUGH stuck out to me like a sore thumb. It rang in my spirit and I to do more research on scriptures with the word THROUGH. Now these are just a few but they hold true to the revelation that I got.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk THROUGH the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2)
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.(Phi 4:13) The verse most people know
Do you see the revelation? Ok, Maybe not. The Through of GOD is the power of His resiliency, the grace of His peace, the unconditional actions of his love, the limitlessness of His Mercy, and the reminder of your purpose. The Through of GOD creates a space of stillness. It reminds us that we have to be in a place where we make space for GOD to do His job. The Through of GOD allows you to be in a place to see His hand at work in real time.
This revelation of the Through of GOD is deep and it really has allowed me to realize how to apply the THROUGH of GOD in real-time, especially during these difficult times and unknown spaces. Today, I challenge us to active the Through of GOD so we can be beyond the space of survival to the place of victory and live in the blessings of GOD found in John 10: 10 “I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This scripture emphasizes the abundant life that can be found THROUGH Jesus Christ.
Prayer: GOD right now let us work the power of your Through by letting good of our expectations of what we want things to look like for our lives. Help us to take hold of your stillness, bask in your peace, walk in the purpose of your will and love, and expose our struggles to you. We trust your GOD and we thank you that in your Through we can do the mind-blowing things you called us to. In Jesus Name! Ament
It has been a while I know and that is because life has been lifeing. I have had so many changes and challenges while still trying to keep the faith that Daddy says that it will all work together for my good and will bring him glory. But where is the glory in disappointment and delays? OOOO…. that just hit me like a ton of bricks. I am sure I am not the only one who has asked that question at least once in their life. However, we are in a new year and you know the saying “new year, new me”! I don’t always agree with that, because there are some things from the previous year that I probably still need to work on in this new year. With that being said I am inviting you to come on a 21-day journey with me as I fast from personal things. I am doing something new and including a video with the blog. GOD is really creating this fast as I work on developing it. The fast will start January 22-February 12, 2024. I know you asking now Shawndrika what’s different about this fast, versus the one that I am doing with my church or small group. Well, this fast is personal.
Let me explain, I have fasted on numerous occasions with my church, friends, and small group. Though it yielded some great fruit, it had me hyper-focused on dos and don’ts versus the GOD will and have your way. Let me be honest it didn’t feel personal. It didn’t feel like what I was giving up was a sacrifice that could move the heart of GOD to see how committed I was to making room for Him in the area(s) I didn’t trust him with. Yes, the Daniel fast is great, but because it’s one of the popular fasts it starts to feel like a cliche that we do as a church at the beginning of the year. Translation it is a routine to add to the many routines we already have. This fast creates a level of accountability and self-examination. It dives into a space of personal sacrifice on an individual level versus that of a collective, while still creating discipline, community, and consistency. This fast will make you evaluate how you trust and see GOD in this present moment and cause you to start your own record book with HIM. Listen, I am getting excited thinking about it. I am in a place where I have to take GOD out of my comfortable box of how I know Him and expand how He wants me to know Him. In other words, I can’t keep limiting my intimacy because I fear the process that comes with it. *So if you are curious about this fast join me on the 22nd and see if this is for you. If not that’s cool. However, I challenge you to check how you box GOD. Does your relationship with Daddy cause others to be curious about how to get to know Him?
Prayer: Daddy, we thank you for this new year. Help us not to box you to our comfort level, allow us to meet you where you desire us to see you. Let us never become comfortable with our level of intimacy with you. Help us desire more of you in a world that is forever changing. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Great Day Readers! I hope that your Holy Week truly started the way for you to grow in your relationship with Daddy, be aware of the revelation of the cross, and create moments of closeness and manifestation of the presence of the Trinity.
This morning doing my quiet time I came across this scripture. “Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed”. Proverbs 16:3 TPT That scripture hit me like a ton of bricks. Because it tells me the step I need to overcome the fear of failure, grow my faith, create guaranteed success, and how to continue to grow. The step is so simple it’s scary. The step is to TRUST TOTALLY IN GOD! I know what you are saying… Shawndrika dull! However, that one step is hard because it comes with three uncomfortable actions we must take: 1) surrender 2) lose control 3) obedience to the unknown (faith). I don’t know about you, but, I struggle in all three, especially when I need results like yesterday. Not only do I struggle with these three, but these things, are also inconsistent. When storms come, when issues arise, when things seem not to be working in your favor we must go back to the actions we must take which are the three steps listed above. My prayer for us today is to trust Daddy at a level that those three things become easy in all areas of our life and not just the areas we are comfortable with doing them in.
Prayer: Daddy, thank you for giving us the step to guaranteed success. Help us to be able to do our part when it comes to trusting You. Let us be able to do these actions no matter if we are comfortable or uncomfortable in the situation, issue, or circumstance that we are trusting You in. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN!
Great Day DDC Readers! It’s the last day of Black History Month and I want to go out with a bang. As you know I am working on being more consistent with blogging, by at least writing a blog once a month. I thought today would be a perfect day to address something as we deal with what’s going on in the world. But, before we dive in I have a question for you. Have you checked out Jesus+Therapy, Sis on your favorite podcast platform? No, what are you waiting for? Just Click Jesus+Therapy, Sis, and join the conversation. Now, that the announcements are out the way. Let’s dive into the word and message.
So, currently, as I write this Urkinane and Russia are at a place of war. The news is reporting everything that is going on, and we see that there are some racial remarks being made. We also see that the African citizens of Urkinane are being denied the ability to get on trains or subways in order to get to a place of safety in Poland. I have a sister who is Jamaican and she reported that there are Jamaican students who are walking 14 hours with the HOPES to get to a safe place. Yes, the HOPE to get to a safe place! This breaks my heart that in 2022 racism continues to have a global reach in the midst of a major war. WOW! During my prayer and meditation time, I was reading my Bible plan, and this scripture
1 Peter1:6-7 (TPT) came up and read me.
“6May the thought of this cause you to jump for joy, even though lately you’ve had to put up with the grief of many trials. 7But these only reveal the sterling core of your faith, which is far more valuable than gold that perishes, for even gold is refined by fire. Your authentic faith will result in even more praise, glory, and honor when Jesus the Anointed One is revealed”.
I know you are wondering what about this scripture read me. I am glad you ask. Let me break this down for you in verse 6 it says “even though lately you’ve had to put with the grief of many trials”. With everything that is going on in the world, the grief is thick and the trials of life seem to feel unbearable to me. It feels like GOD has forgotten about His word. That Daddy is not listening to His Daughter. It has really caused me to think… Am I valuable to Him, like He says I am, or am I making this up? However, verse 7 is the read “But these only reveal the sterling core of your faith, which is far more valuable than gold that perishes, for even gold is refined by fire. Your authentic faith will result in even more praise, glory, and honor when Jesus the Anointed One is revealed”. Did you see what I highlighted? The true read of this verse is the theme found in these two highlighted sessions. YOUR FAITH! These moments of grief and trials are to produce the purity of your faith in its most authentic form. This is not about the situation. This is not about the circumstances, people, or even the emotions and feelings you are feeling about it all. It’s about, you having the FAITH to trust Daddy. Do you have the FAITH that no matter what trials, tribulations, or grief moments you endure that it will result in praise, glory, and honor to the Father!?! Receiving this revelation made my life change! It reminded me that what seems like a dark night is really a fire that creates another level of next level and FAITH in me! It makes the scripture Proverbs 30:5b more clear “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning”. Listen the joy is found in the strengthening of our FAITH.
So, don’t allow the grief and trial to derail you from the process of the fire. The fire’s job is to take your faith to the next level that you can experience the unmeasurable joy of the LORD.
Prayer: Daddy we thank you for the fire that we call trials and grief. We realize that these moments give way for the manifestation of next-level Faith that will produce praise, glory, and honor unto you. You are might Daddy and though we may not see the trial and grief as a moment of Faith, we ask that you change our view and vision to see it that way. Let us respond to these moments knowing that you are about to take our Faith to the next level. Let us responds with joy and gladness in our hearts, trusting you in the process. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN!
Can you believe that January has almost ended and we are about to be in February and that I have done two entries this month?!? Let’s pray I keep it up! I am going to truly try as my life continues to create opportunities of demands and advancements. My declaration this year is to be consistent in all the assignments GOD has called me to.
This morning I sent out a text to the people that are in my inner circle about something so personal and vulnerable to me. It came after me preaching a message and honestly me realizing I had never said some things out loud about parts of my life as a wife. I had never openly and out loud admit that my bleeding was caused by a miscarriage because by the time we got to the doctor to see what was going on I was no longer pregnant. After taking pregnant tests prior. What do you do when you know something; however, your denial and others’ influence will tell you that you are lying to yourself? (That’s another topic for another day) Below is the message that I sent to my circle that I feel that you could benefit from. I hope that it blesses and frees you as it did me.
Good morning! Listen on yesterday I got to preach on the story of the woman with the issue of blood, it’s one of my favorite stories due to the fact I used to be her. No, I didn’t bleed for 12 years; however, the almost year of bleeding felt like forever. It created so many emotional trauma moments and increased my areas of fear. It causes me to question my existence and my womanhood. I was married at the time to an insensitive husband, who didn’t understand the fears that haunt me in my sleep. Not meeting his needs, realizing I had a miscarriage, and not knowing if or could I get pregnant again. I felt alone and isolated, ashamed, embarrassed, and scared. However, during my morning meditation, these scriptures spoke to me.
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way— the path that brings me back to you. Psalms 139:23-24 TPT
He heals the wounds of every shattered heart. Psalms 147:3 TPT
I know you are wondering how did those two scriptures speak to you. When I reflect back on that moment I remember the anxiety and depression I felt, “anxious thoughts and path of pain”. It wasn’t until I ask Daddy to search me that the second scripture started to manifest. I don’t know where you are in this journey called life. I don’t know if you are still in the first scripture or you experiencing the second. I just want to encourage you to stand still and allow Daddy (GOD) to heal you. Know I’m praying for you and I love you! Thank you for the honor to do both.
Even though that text was for my circle, that text was meant for you as well. You may not be in either place. You may be in a place where life is all good and you are progressing along in this journey; however, use this as a reminder when times get hard.
Prayer: Daddy thank you that even in the midst of adversity, disappointment, frustration, and confusion, you are there to search us, guide us, and heal us. You are there to remind us that you heal, you create wholeness, and you are at peace we just have to stand still long enough for you to search us. We love you and honor you. Thank you for being the one that creates ways out of no way. In Jesus Name! Amen
So if you all don’t know the I have been working on her thesis and feeling like I am getting no where! But I read the Arise5 (the prophetic journal based on the Hebrew calendar.. check it out at: http://www.arise5.com) and I am getting my strength back. But I want to encourage you like I was encourage. We are in the month of Tammuz which is one that is filled with great things and I am so excited to see them manifest. There where six things that really stuck out that we must be aware of and make part of our lives. 1. This is the season where GOD is going to show you areas in your life that you need to adjust in order to remain in his will and stay on the path that he has called you to. 2. Light. This is the season where your light will need to shine bright and this will happen by accepting and taking on the glory of GOD. This is done by being in his presence through prayer and worship. Ask GOD to take your worship to another level that His glory will be just as real to other as it is to you. 3. Delay (this one is for me) This is the month to celebrate the delays in your life, and know that they are the confirmations of GOD’s preparation for your victory and promotion. 4. Choice.In this seasoning choosing to accept the positive in negative situations is crucial. You must speak the word in faith this season when it comes to negativity. Celebrate the positive in your life. I hope she doesn’t mind but I love the fact that friend was able to celebrate the healing of her son’s heart but not only that, when he had to be place back on oxygen for a while she stayed positive by say “it’s just for a moment”. That’s how we must response to negativity “IT’S JUST FOR A MOMENT,” and if we declare the word of the LORD it will be just for a second. 5. Vulnerable… OOOOOOO I know some of us have a hard time with this word but this is necessary in this season. We can’t be super heroes in handling those moments that seem overwhelming in our own strength, it’s time that you tap into … Say it with me Circle of Influence which brings me to my last point….6. Relationships. It’s time to look at your circle to make sure it’s still healthy, productive, functioning, and balance. I know it’s heart and hard to prune and add to our circle but in this season it is necessary. Make sure your circle doesn’t get stale and that you are open to new relationships.
Prayer: Daddy we thank you that we are in a season where life, light, delay, choices, vulnerability, and relationships are key essentials to how we function in this season. WE thank you that we have life in you, and you give us life more abundantly as we stay on the path that you called us to. Help us with every assignment that we encounter daily, that you may get the glory in our actions. Helps us seek your face always that your presence will become and remain real to us and your glory may be the light that the world sees in us. Daddy help us accept, rejoice, and understand your delay is not a denial only a setup for your blessings. Help us Daddy to make the right choice in this season. That we speak your word during negative situations and stand on the promise of your positive outcome. Daddy help us become vulnerable in our times of needs that we seek out help when we need it the most as well as accept the help of others. Help us Daddy to not only be givers but receivers. Some of us are quick to give and slow to receive, help us find balance in both areas. Last Daddy gives us the strength and the heart to let go of the relationships that don’t grow us, that paralyze us in hurt, disappointment, unforgiveness, and discouragement. Help us make room for new relationships and give us the wisdom in who to let in and out of our lives. Help us not to see the pruning process as a place of pain , but one of growth and healing. In Jesus Name. Amen!
It’s been a while since I post something and I saw this on my memories on my facebook page and thought it would be a good thing to share with my blogger especially since it was written 7 years ago.
Well Do you see it? Is your vision as clear as you think it is? Even with my glasses or contacts I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see that my vision was off and that I been placed in a category. No one place me there but me, and now I’m having a “How in the Heck DID I GET HERE,” moment. Have you ever had one of those? I had to do a vision check and in my check I realize that there are three different visions.
Clear Vision: the ability to notice and acknowledge the facts but activate the faith.
• When you have clear vision you understand that failures are the cosigners to success.
Blurry Vision: knowing and focusing on the facts with the knowledge of what faith can do.
• Placing your failure in the position where they outweigh your accomplishments along with the element of ignorance will cause you to have blurry vision.
Blindness: faithfully doubting
• Can’t see pass your past, because the pain is still in your present
I realize that I had blurry vision only because I couldn’t see pass my own failure and embrace the lessons that were attached to them. It’s so crazy. I would have rather stayed in a place of ignorance than embrace the knowledge. I would have rather stay in a place of comfort than to move into my place of destiny. But now I realize that my vision must improve and I must realize the greatness of the element of my vision when I set my dreams, goals, and faith into action.
My challenge to you: analyze your vision and make sure you are seeing the right thing.
Prayer: Daddy today we come to you asking you to speak to our vision. We have been in a place where our vision may not have been so clear or it was clear but we did not act in the clarity of it. Daddy we asked that forgive us of our disobedience and remove any thing that my hinder the clarity of our vision and remove our will from your plan. Daddy submit ourselves to your vision and we yield to what you have called us to. Give us vision clarity right now that we may move in the things of you . In Jesus Name. Amen!
Hey blog readers it’s been a while since I post something but while on facebook I ran across a memory note that bless me all over again.
The note is titled: THE STATEMENT
So in a conversation that I had with a sister on tonight she brought out something that I never thought about. So may time in our time of repentance we make the statement “GOD forgive me for the decisions that I MADE.” As she was praying for me, she stated “GOD allow my sister to move past the statement I MADE, because YOU are the author and finisher of our life story.” NOW maybe you didn’t get the revelation of the statement, so let me break it down. SHE said that I MADE, BUT YOU ARE THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER of OUR LIFE STORY. Which means that there is no such thing as a “MADE” Decision. Ok. GOD is the creator of all, and in the word He gives us free-will, but that doesn’t cancel the fact that He created the situation to the decisions that we make. These same decisions that either set us up or out. Ok. I’m sorry I’m about to lose it over here. GOD knows what decisions that we are going to make as well as the outcome of how it will play out. Let me just say this, in order to be a victor you must receive the victory of YOUR LIFE STORY!
This bless me all over again!!! I was deep before marriage..lol But the point of this is that we have to realize the statements we make will never change the course to our GOD destination. There are two examples that come to mind from the Bible that really confirm how the statement of our decisions will not change our GOD destination. Come here Jonah. He decided that he was not going to do what GOD called him to do and despite his attempt to escape the assignment by verbally speaking his plan, he still ended on the shore of his GOD destination. Come here Peter… You told JESUS you would not deny him but you did it several time and you curse… But look at you being the disciple you were called to be leading nations to Christ!!! WE can make decision but despite our decisions we will get to the GOD destination. The question remains will you take the 40 year or 40 day journey???
Prayer: Daddy today we come to you to say thank you for being the author and finisher of our life story. We realize that no matter what decisions we make you will get us to Your destination. We thank you for forgiving us in our bad decision making that manifest disobedience, and giving us the opportunity to reach our GOD destination in your grace and mercy. Daddy we shift towards a mindset of obedience and we thank you that no matter what statement we make the result is we win in you. Daddy help stay the course of your will. Help us warn off distractions that cause your voice to be drowned by the weight of this world and the worries of this life. Remind us Daddy that you are the provider and everything we need can and will be found in you. Daddy help us make the right statements over our life and speak only what you have spoke to us. Help us trust you and help us with our faith in you when things don’t look like what we think they should look like. Remind us that your timing is perfect and what you have in store for us is greater than any thing that we could even image or think. In JESUS Name! AMEN
Do you know what today is?!? It’s a great day to catch up on the things of GOD and what he is speaking into the earth. So this weekend is really special for the simple fact that today starts the celebration of the Passover. Now let me be honest I never thought I was worthy to celebrate Passover, I really thought it was for the chose people…The Jews, then the Holy Spirit convicted me by reminding me that I was part of the chosen people. Because of the Jesus died on the cross I have been adopted and chosen… Wow! I think sometimes (me especially) we forget that we get to reap the rewards and benefits of the original chosen people. It’s crazy that I have been surrounded by a Jewish family my whole life, thanks to my mom, but I never thought that I was worthy enough to really take part in what they were chosen to do. But thank GOD that his thoughts are not like mine and I have received the insight on the value of what being chosen brings. With all that being said let me just give you the great benefits of the Passover. First know that it starts today at sun down. During this time the Jews would say a blessing and feast together giving thanks for the death angel passing over them because of their obedience of putting the lamb’s blood over their door post. The crazy thing is that this celebration continues until Sunday! Three days of giving thanks and feasting together to celebrate GOD sparing the lives of those that were obedient. Now that you got the background let me get to the benefits. 1. It will cause humbleness to take place in your heart that will open the gates for GOD to move and answer your prayers. 2. Unity will take place. This will cause a movement to really seek after GOD for who he is, not what he has. 3. Healing will take place. So if you having issues in your body or believing GOD for healing for someone else know that this weekend, the manifestation of what you been praying for will happen before your very eyes. 4. You will be overtaken with joy. Yes, the Joy of the LORD will be your strength from this point forward and grow throughout the year. 5. There will be a shifting in the atmosphere. This will open the door to that unmeasurable favor and supernatural things happen for you. In other words, those “But GOD” moments. 6. You will increase in the authority and effectiveness of your prayer time. 6. Revival will spread in your home and destroy any hindrances that may be present. 7. Many people will find their calling and serve in their proper position. So if you are part of the group that feel like they still figuring out their calling or don’t know what it is… Guess what it’s about to be revealed on this weekend. 7. The nations will start to shift. This will start to take effect in the world and we will see the glory of GOD in the nations. 8.You start to live in abundance. That means that the lack in your life will turn into overflow and more than enough. 8. You will find yourself seeking GOD in unique and new ways. In other words, you will be out your comfort zone and “GOD limits.” Now let me be honest I don’t know if I can do a whole weekend of celebration… But I do know that on Sunday I am making an effort to get together as many people I can to break bread together and celebrate this great day. I want to make sure that I and those that are in my Circle of Influence are in a place that we are connected to the benefits of the Passover. To celebrate Passover to me is the best way to tell GOD I am ready to do all the things that come with being an adopted daughter and move in the things you have called your chosen people to do. To read more about the Passover please read To read more about the Passover please read 2 Chronicles Chapters 30-31.
Prayer: Daddy as we come to you today to celebrate the benefits of Passover as well as being adopted into your family we first want to thank you. Thank you that no matter what we have done you have a plan for us and that you have called us chosen. Thank you that you give us the opportunity to celebrate you and all you have done for us. Thank you that in you we have our being and that there is nothing that can separate us from your love but our ability to deny it. Thank you that the benefits of being part of your family is not just the ability to talk to you and seek your face, but also to unite with our other family members and break bread together to celebrate the great things you have done for us. Thank you Daddy that on this weekend we get to experience you in a new way and that we will take advantage of the timing and season you have place us in. We love you and thank you for every moment we get to experience you on another level. In Jesus Name! AMEN!!!
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