Who Is My Neighbor?

Jesus told a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a Samaritan (whom the Jews despised) came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the Jew on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The Bible scholar replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Love thy neighbor as thyself, including:

• the one across the street with the incessantly barking dog

• the ones that barrels down my street as if they're on a drag strip

• my self-centered coworkers with a poor work ethic

• the less than caring customer service rep that did not resolve my problem

• the lazy courier who did not properly deliver my packages

• the family member who would not receive my gift

• the friend who tried to talk me into doing what I didn't want to do

• the homeless man who will not work but waits on the street corner for me to come by

Heavenly Father,

Help me to live a life of love for You, with all of my heart, and love for my neighbor as myself, whoever that neighbor might happen to be. I cannot do this on my own but in You I am strong and able to pull off anything. You enable me to do exceedingly, and abundantly, far over and beyond what I can do in my own strength and willpower. When people are not nice, I ask You to help me love them anyways. When people are being inconsiderate, let Your love for them shine through me, and help me to let my guard down so that You may shine even brighter. Let Your love in me, hide the faults in them. Let me be an example to the believer and to the unbeliever in word, in conduct, in faith, in purity, and in love. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Hotter Than Fish Grease

I was boiling some eggs, one time, and a close friend called me to meet her for drinks. Immediately, I grabbed my purse and ran out the door, forgetting that the eggs were still boiling. When I got back the pot had boiled dry and eggs exploded all over the kitchen. There was egg debris everywhere… ceiling, walls, and floor. Weeks later I was still finding shards of eggs hidden in and around kitchen appliances.

I can’t explain the science behind it, but I know that it has something to do with the inner temperature of the egg releasing explosively.

I give this example because something very similar happened to me this week. I am the egg that boiled dry and exploded all over my coworker.

I have worked with this individual for about a year. I know she is self-centered and I have fallen victim to her antics many times. But what I’ve been doing in the name of keeping the peace is going-along-to-get-along. I never confronted her antics, I just figured a way to get around them to keep on track with my assignments. But inside, my animosity toward her was building like steam in a pressure cooker. For a whole year I fumed inside, without any steam being released, and then Thursday morning… the explosion.

As another coworker put it, “I was hotter than fish grease!”

I found out the hard way that this kind of pinned up anger is not healthy and is like a pressure cooker ready to explode. You think you’re keeping the peace by not making waves but the person in chaos is you.

Banish bitterness, rage and anger, shouting and slander, and any and all malicious thoughts—these are poisonous. However...

Not all anger is a sin…

When Jesus had made a whip of cords, He drove all the money changers out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the money changers’ loot and overturned their tables.

When you’re angry, don’t let it carry you into sin. Don’t let the sun set with anger in your heart or give the devil room to work.

Give the Holy Spirit space to keep you at peace. Don’t give that space to any other.

Black Church and White Evangelicals

I don’t like President Donald Trump. I think he’s a racist. Furthermore, it pains me that our White Christian brothers and sisters support him – a known racist. How can we assemble together and worship comfortably when preachers are praising the president from the podium to our detriment? It makes me want to sink under the pew. How can they support this man that is prejudiced toward their African American brothers and sisters? I have read that this is separating multi-racial churches because the African Americans are feeling dejected by our White brothers and sisters.

How can we worship side by side with those that demean how racists make us feel as they spew their hateful words towards us? To me, it seems like they are not walking this journey with us and are unconcerned about how it is affecting us.

Pastor Robert Morris (a White pastor) at Gateway Church said that this is because we are not looking at the situation with the same perspective.

I may be wrong, but this could be the falling away that the Apostle Paul spoke of that precedes the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The church is separating and falling away from one another.

The president could not openly renounce the KKK. Yet our sisters and brothers in Christ enthusiastically support him, no matter what, and no matter how detrimental it is to other church members. When we hear “Make America Great Again”, we believe he is actually saying, “Make America White Again” by taking us back to the 50s and 60s. Trump openly praised white supremacists having a protest march, but he severely criticized our brothers for taking a knee in protest at football games.

During the presidential campaign, there was a lot of talk about how the evangelicals were in support of Donald Trump. From that point on I did not want to be labeled an evangelical anymore. But when I looked up the word evangelical, it actually describes who I am as a believer and the values I stand for. Yet, I don’t want to be identified with those that supports Trump. I take issue with their value system that they continue to excuse his behavior and prophesy that he is a man sent by God to the White House. Does God hate Blacks? No.

Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church here in Downtown Dallas said the following: “Evangelicals still believe in the commandment: Thou shalt not have sex with a porn star, however, whether this president violated that commandment or not is totally irrelevant to our support of him. Evangelicals knew they weren’t voting for an altar boy when they voted for Donald Trump.”

And… nothing he can do or say about us African Americans will change their minds about him.

True, Jesus said of the woman caught in the very act of adultery, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” I know I have no stones to throw at Donald Trump or anyone else – as much as I have been forgiven for. The difference in Donald Trump and the adulteress is that she went away cleansed, and to do that sin no more.

Donald Trump said that NFL owners should fire African American football players that kneel during the anthem. Nobody seemed to care why we were protesting, and our stake in this thing, they just want us out of the way. Any attempt on our part to peacefully protest and petition the government for a re-dress of grievances, makes us look like the divisive bad guys.

White evangelical families are not the ones losing loved ones to trigger happy police officers. Perhaps if they saw it from our point of view, we might not look so divisive.

I read an article where an African American woman attending a predominantly White church was addressed as divisive because she brought up the young African American teen Trayvon Martin that was killed by George Zimmerman for walking through his apartment complex wearing a hoodie. They had not even heard of Trayvon Martin. Once again, they don’t see this from our point of view.

In Revelation 7:9 the church in heaven is described as a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, people, and tongues standing before the throne of Christ. It is sad that we are so separated down here, and we cannot assemble together down here in that way.

I live in a neighborhood that is about 50% Hispanic. I recently noticed that I was feeling resentful of them. All the businesses in our immediate area cater to them… the grocery stores, salons, and restaurants. I have to go outside of my neighborhood or order online to get the things I want and need. The Holy Spirit convicted me of that and even with that knowledge, it is taking me some time and prayers to shake off my resentment. I don’t want to think I’m a racist because one of my very good friends Maria is Hispanic, but I’ll admit that my love is not pure. If it was, I would not have negative thoughts toward my neighbors, or stereotype them as I do.

Jesus said, “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

We all have the right to choose our political party. It is my opinion that neither side (Democrats or Republicans) are 100% lining up with the word of God. If we choose Republicans because they are pro-life, they fail to treat the poor as Scripture commands. If we choose Democrats because they support the poor and needy, they are pro-choice and support abortions. Neither side is perfect, obviously.

I have a close friend Rhonda, that just happens to be a White evangelical, who supports Donald Trump. Two weeks after his inauguration, her post on Facebook said, “I wished people would stop rioting and hurting people who voted for President Trump. He’s only been in office a few weeks, he needs our prayers, not opposition.” Because I love her, I had to take a closer look at the woman in the mirror. Am I not praying enough for this president? Did God hear the prayers I have already sent up for him? Is unforgiveness hindering my prayers?

I have seen photos of ministers in the Oval Office laying hands on President Trump and praying over him. Were their prayers heard by God? Most of all, I do not want a falling away to come between me and Rhonda because of my dislike for this man.

Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what reward have you?” He encouraged us to love our enemies. He admonished us to bless those who curse us and pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us.

So, here is where I stand today, confessing that my heart needs a transformation, that I may put off  this old woman and put on the new woman – and be renewed in my mind and in my spirit – and that I may grow and develop in His likeness and be that Christian walking in the light as Christ is in the light.

Father, forgive me. I pray Your blessing upon the church that we will band together and love one another as Jesus had prayed to You in the 17^th chapter of John. With all my love for You, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

I Have a Testimony to Tell

In the church I grew up in, we had what was called Testimony Service. This was the part of the service where we had Praise and Worship, and the saints would give testimonies about the goodness of God, and miracles He had performed in their lives.

What I particularly enjoyed about Testimony Service was when someone would go forth who was anointed by the Holy Spirit to tell their testimony. It was always moving, and you could tell the ones that was anointed from the ones that wasn’t.

The person full of the Holy Spirit could tell a simple story, but even a simplistic story told under the power of the Holy Spirit could move you to shouting (our slang for dancing in the Spirit).

We also had our special way of beginning the testimony, “Giving honor to God, and to my pastor, and the first lady, and to the ministers on the rostrum, and to the deacons, and missionaries, and evangelists, the Sunday School teachers, the ushers, the junior choir, and all of God’s saints assembled in the house today.” They gave honor to everything from the front door to the back door. Then the person would launch into telling their awesome testimony. Hopefully, it was anointed. Sometimes it wasn’t.

Well… I have a testimony to tell. And in the spirit of nostalgia, I am going to tell it like we used to do it back in the day.

 “Giving honor to God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord for being here. I thank the Lord for saving me and filling me with His precious Holy Ghost. He didn’t have to do it, but He did. I thank the Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me. He woke me up this morning and started me on my way. He kept me from dangers, seen and unseen, and I am truly grateful.

 I want to tell you what the Lord did for me on this week. We have a house right next door to us that was very, very neglected. The gentleman that lived there was in poor health and had not kept it up. He had very large, overgrown trees that hung over our driveway, and the birds would often poop on my car. When ever I came out and saw bird poop on my car, I would pray about it.

Finally, the neighbor’s health declined so much that he had to move out and go live with relatives. I prayed for him too. The condition of the house declined even further and was vacant for quite some time. The trees had pretty much died. The branches had started to fall off and land in the driveway, giving me concern not only for the bird poop, but for the large branches that could possibly land on my car. Finally, the neighbor sold the house to a company that came and started fixing it up. They gutted the entire thing down to the framework. They sent a tree surgeon out to cut the trees back. The trees were so big, he had to stand on the rooftop of the house to cut them down. When he finally finished working on the trees, every single branch that hung over our driveway had been completely removed. In fact, none of the trees hung over on our side of the property at all. Then, this morning my husband took my car keys to go put air in my tire. When he came back, he had washed my car completely. It was beautiful!! My God had taken away the trees the birds used to poop on my car, and spit-shined my car on top of that.

To you bird poop might seem like a small thing, but God shows His love toward us even in the minor things. Because anything that concerns us, concerns Him. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Y’all, pray my strength in the Lord.”

Glory to God!

BE STRONG ! ! !

I like this Scripture because it forces me to recognize that everything in life will not be easy. 

Sometimes I have to just do it even though it gets hard.

If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you,

Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Jer. 12:5 (NKJV)

A few years back, I was teaching Sunday School (a combined men and women's class). Some of the brothers made it their weekly duty to challenge me. They called me out on any small infraction they could find. Anytime they were in class, they made it their business to weary me. So after a year of dealing with it, I resigned my post as Sunday School teacher and sat down. But that was wearisome too, because teaching is my calling and to sit down on it is like fire shut up in my bones.

The entire class consisted of about 20 students of all ages. These are the footmen.

I know that God has called me to a greater audience at some point in the future. If I cannot contend with 20 footmen giving me a hard time, I will certainly be trampled by the greater audience. These are the horses.

I hate that I stepped down from teaching. Aside from those brothers, it was doing the others a lot of good. I should have turned my focus on them, and them only.

Let your eyes look straight ahead,

And your eyelids look right before you.

Ponder the path of your feet,

And let all your ways be established.

Prov. 4:25-26 (NKJV)

In 1996, a man of God came to me, who did not know me and said that God told him I was going to help a lot of people. I need to keep my focus on them from now on... and if it gets hard, I will just have to do it hard.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matt. 16:24 (NKJV)

Faith Lesson One

Lord, Increase My Faith

I have been struggling with my faith lately so I asked the Lord to help me understand what's wrong.

While I was listening to a preacher teach on the woman with the issue of blood, I asked the Lord what did she do differently that caused her faith to manifest. Out of that, is coming a series of messages. This is Lesson One.

First of all, we have to develop and strengthen a faith mindset. Jesus used a mustard seed as an example of faith.

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." Luke 17:5-6

Now, the mustard seed is smaller than all other seeds on the earth, but when it is planted in the ground and grown up, it becomes bigger than all other herbal plants with the shoots and branches so large that birds can build nests in it and have shade.

Some seeds will fall by the wayside, some will fall on rocks and some will fall among thorns. Those seeds will not yield a crop. But the seeds that fall on good ground will yield a harvest of thirty, or sixty, or even one hundred times as much as was sown. The seeds that fall on good ground are those, who heard the word with a noble and good heart, kept it, and with patience, yield a good crop. How ever much the crop yields, it started with a seed in good ground, then was nurtured and increased to maturation.

Many Christians (including myself) has shouted at mulberry trees (in the spiritual sense) and thought we were using faith to move mountains, but nothing happened. That is probably because our faith is still in the mustard seed phase of life. If we allow the Holy Spirit to make our hearts ready to receive the seed by breaking up the fallow ground (Jer. 4:3), that makes it more suitable for planting.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom. 10:17)

So, here's the process as I understand it.

The Holy Spirit prepares our heart for the seed, which is the word of God. He has to give us ears to hear the word, or else it will do us no good. He removes stones and thorns and weeds and turns over the soil so that it will be suitable for planting. A lot of us have a hard time getting past this stage because it is painful and we don't want to deal with the hard stuff. Therefore the word is choked out and unprofitable.

Once the Holy Spirit has finally prepared us to receive the word of God, we can now hear it and understand what we've heard. Faith is now on the rise.

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)

The word is written on our hearts like files stored on a computer, that can be retrieved by the Holy Spirit as they are needed. He is our teacher and brings all things to our remembrance. He knows what truths we have grasped, and what we still need to learn.

The seed (or the word) grows up in our hearts and is nurtured by the Holy Spirit. He is the Husbandman that works the garden. It grows and grows like that little mustard seed and then when it is fully matured, we know how to say to the mulberry tree, "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea," and it will obey us. There will be no doubt that what we say will happen. The mustard seed has become a big tree, and the fruit of it is our faith, all grown up. According to your faith, let it be to you (Matt. 9:29).

The woman with the issue of blood had been sick for twelve years. She had suffered many things from various physicians, but they were not able to help her. Instead, she only got worse. I think her faith was strong because of all she had gone through. She had gotten progressively fed up over the long period of time, and her faith had had enough time to mature. Matthew's account of the story says she said within herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well" (Matt. 9:21).

I believe she kept saying this over and over to herself as she pressed through the crowd on her way to Jesus. I believe when we reach our ultimate fed up stage, we enter another dimension where all fear and doubt is gone, and nothing remains but faith. Her faith made her whole, and the entire disease was wiped out instantly. Jesus did not even know she was there. She did not ask Him to heal her. He did not pray over her or lay hands on her. Her faith connected with His healing virtue and she was made whole as she had said.

I don't know about you but I am tired of the status quo, and ready to move past the hard stuff so I can be free like this woman. Let's yield to the Holy Spirit so our faith can grow.

Don't Listen To Glum

Back in the day, there was a cartoon called Gulliver's Travels and one of the characters was called Glum. He was very negative and walked around all the time with his hands in his pockets spewing out negativity:

"It'll never work."

"We'll never make it."

"It's hopeless."

"I told you it'll never work."

"We're doomed."

Most of the time, Glum's travel mates just ignored his gloom and doom message, and always came out of the situation successfully. Our life's journey will experience many Glums along the way. These are people who let life beat them. They are cynical about life and they will try to make you believe that it's not worth trying.

Don't listen to Glum. Ignore Glum!!!

Feed your faith and starve your doubts, and never, never, never let anyone including yourself, cause you believe that it is not worth trying over and over.

It will work.

You can make it.

It is not hopeless.

We are not doomed.

Jesus said, "I got you."

God will make a way when there seems to be no way. Our part is to believe and keep on believing... even until the day when Jesus comes back to collect the church, He will find us still believing and ignoring Glum's message.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

It's Already Done?

The phrase "It's already done!" has become extremely popular in Christian and secular circles. But every time I hear it or see it, I get angry, because I am believing for stuff that I cannot see. I have a passion for things that are not coming to pass. In my simple mind, it is not already done. Don’t try to convince me that it is already done if I cannot see it, touch it, taste it, hear it, or smell it.

But yesterday I received an explanation that is very convincing. If you know that you will not give up until it’s done, then it’s already done. You’ve already won if there is nothing that can get you to quit or give up.

I am always amazed at how people who live on the coast, can experience hurricanes and tropical storms destroy their homes and yet they continue to return and rebuild again and again. I would probably need to move more inland after the first one. But they are convinced that this is where they want to live and hurricanes cannot deter that conviction… so they continue to rebuild.

If we have that kind of tenacity regarding what we are believing for then when life happens, we won’t be easily deterred from our end goal, even though we have many distractions... or may have to rebuild a few times.

Jesus stated in Luke 14, “Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?” We have to become single-minded that we are going to finish. It is already done because I won’t give up until it is done.

The enemy won’t lay out a red carpet and let you pass him by with your dignity intact. He will fight to keep your dreams from coming to pass. But if you know that you will not give up until it’s done then it’s as good as done.

It's already done?  Yes! Finito!

I heard someone say that the grave yard holds many dreams, and that’s because people gave up and did not finish because it got hard… because it wasn’t working out like they thought… or they ran out of resources and felt they had no choice. The Bible says that nothing is too hard for God.

The children of Israel thought they were done for. The enemy was about to overtake them. Moses stretched forth his rod and the Red Sea parted, the wind blew the ground dry and they all got safely through to the other side. When the enemy tried to follow them using God’s provision for them, the enemy was destroyed.

Whatever it is that you’re dealing with, I want you to see your flag planted, even though you're still climbing.

See yourself victorious, even if the situation seems hopeless. It’s not hopeless. It’s possible.

The enemy cannot beat God at His own game. All He needs to do is give you one idea, that will be your rod stretching forth. Your Red Sea parting. It ain’t over till it’s over and it ain’t over yet. In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

It’s already done. We have already won.

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” And if He be for us, who can be against us?

Christian Virtues & The Ungodly

I was like, "Lord, how long will they continue to prosper and I continue to Struggle (with a capital S)? I am here with clean hands doing the right thing and they get away with every evil and ungodly thing and are doing it with ease. I don't get it."

So, day by day I got angrier and angrier, feeling more and more unappreciated and insignificant. One day I heard a song, Take Me To The King. I stepped boldly into the throne room of God and unleashed a torrent of anger until I was completely emptied out.

Then, during early morning devotion I came across Psalm 73 (game changer). It described my thoughts and answered my questions at the same time. The ungodly will have an end. Though they prosper now, in the end it will not go well for them, unless of course, they turn their hearts to the Lord before its too late.

Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be mowed down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

Psalm 37:1-2

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret—it only causes harm.

For evildoers shall be cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:7-9

America Refocuses

A man named Todd Starnes, whose political views I do not share, wrote the following article. I heard it read over the radio while I was on my way to work the other morning. It made me weep. There has been so much racial unrest going on lately. Even the KKK has reared its ugly head once again to public protests. Everybody is protesting something or other. In the midst of all the uncivilized racial noise, Hurricane Harvey rolls over the southern gulf coast and reminds America that we are better than we have been living. Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 130 miles per hour. Some areas received as much as 40 inches of rain. Flooding was wide spread and damages was catastrophic, claiming 45 lives in his wake.

At the end of Jesus' sermon on the mount, He said,

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

America is still standing!

Here is Todd Starnes' article that I heard over the radio.

Sometimes it takes something catastrophic to bring Americans back together - to remind us we don't have to be divided by our politics or the color of our skin. As we learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the flood waters did not discriminate. The dirty brown deluge submerged beautiful mansions on tree-lined avenues as well as rundown houses in the inner city.

The wealthy shared rescue boats with those on welfare. But in the face of great suffering - black and white and brown Texans pulled each other from the waters. There was the black law enforcement officer trudging through murky water saving two white children and the white fisherman lifting an elderly black woman into his fishing boat. One of my readers sent me a Facebook video posted by Jim McIngvale, the owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston. Mr. McIngvale told locals if they needed a place to spend the night – just come on down to his furniture store. “We have lots of beds, we have lots of food, lots of water and you can even bring your pets,” he said.

Louisiana's Cajun Navy, an all-volunteer armada, showed up in shallow water outboards and air boats – more than 150 strong. “Hang on, Houston – the Cajun Navy is on the way,” spokesperson Katie Pechon told me. “This is not a government operation – we are all volunteer citizens. Southern Baptists arrived to feed the hungry armed with giant cast iron skillets – filling bellies with meals – home-cooked with a dash of tender love and care. And deputies in Liberty County even helped lead a cattle drive - down Highway 90 - making sure the livestock had safe refuge.

Those are the stories and the images and the sounds that we should remember from Hurricane Harvey. Those are the moments that demonstrate the true heartbeat of the home of the brave. Yes - it's true the great storm washed away homes and belongings - but there was one thing the floodwaters could not destroy -- the spirit of this great nation.

At Home In My Shell

CAN I COME OUT NOW?

I live in a tortoise shell and most of the time, I'm okay with it because I know who I am and have a keen sense of self-awareness. I don't think life in a tortoise shell makes me looney, it just makes me who I am. I am an introvert, and I protect it like its precious gold because I think writers are cut from that mold. We are most alive when left alone.

The problem is when I venture out of my shell, I often find that I wished I hadn't. My engagement with others often proves unfortunate and I wished that I had just stayed at home. Where does this come from, I'm wondering? Do people roll their eyes in the back of their heads when they see me coming? If so, why is that? What is it about my personality that causes them to say, "Oh Lord, is she coming to the party?"

When I look inward, I see a person that is compassionate and fun to be around. I'm not annoying. I don't say everything that comes to my mind. I speak words that uplift and not tear down, and so I fail to get why engagement with humans is hard for me. Maybe I try too hard and people can sense that I'm trying too hard to engage... or not engage if the conversation is going somewhere I am not comfortable with. I don't know.

What I do know is that each time I venture out of my tortoise shell and I encounter yet another unfortunate human interaction, it makes me want to stay in my shell more and more. I am not comfortable with that either. Someone coined a phrase that people who need people are the luckiest people in the world. But you cannot prove that by me, because if I am truly honest with myself, people just get on my last nerve at times.

I am trying to figure out if its just my personality that is a turn off to others or if I am trying to engage with the wrong type of people for my personality type, and its repelling like two magnets bouncing off one another and won't attach.

Whatever the case may be, the Bible says to cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. So that's what I will do.

The apostle James said, "If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who will respond liberally and will not be offended by our inquiry."

The apostle Paul said to think on things that are of good report. So I will dwell on the things that make me a truly wonderful person and pray my disappointments in mankind won't turn me completely away from people interaction.

I will bloom where I'm planted and allow the good Shepherd to take care of the rest. In Him I live and move and have my being. In Him I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. My heavenly Father says, "This is My beloved daughter in whom I am very well pleased." That is good enough for me.

Good night.

Keep On Keeping On

I work in a tall building in Downtown Dallas on the 44^th floor, and in the lunchroom where I eat, they have floor to ceiling windows. The other day I was sitting by the window and I looked straight down and a certain foreboding fear came over me, as though death was close upon me and the only thing standing between me and a painful demise, was a thin glass window pane.

The next day it happened again, and again after that. Suddenly, I looked up into the sky and I imagined I could fly. I saw myself soaring up into the heights of heaven, even higher than the building I was sitting in. The fear of death suddenly disappeared and I felt the fearful foreboding leave me. I became like a woman of power. Yesterday, as I sat at that same table, I saw myself flying and soaring over the traffic below without any fear or trepidation of evil demise.

"Fly like an eagle into the future, I want to fly like an eagle, let the Spirit carry me. I want to fly."  (Song lyrics by the artist, Seal)

Sometimes the things that hold us back don't hit us like a slap in the face. Sometimes it creeps in unnoticed like a snail. One defeating thought after another, and eventually we are convinced we can't do anything, and we are stuck.

I've been praying about a situation for several months now. I mean... persistent, all day, everyday, non-stop bombarding of the throne room kind of prayer. I was about to get the idea that it was pointless to continue. With every passing day, defeating thoughts have been creeping in that I am wasting my time, or that for some reason God must have an ought against me and that's why my prayers are on ignore.

Jesus, Himself, told a parable about a friend that came to his friend's home at midnight asking for food because another friend of his arrived at his home unexpectedly, and he had nothing to feed him. The friend in the house told him to go away, the door was shut and he and his family were all in bed. He did not want to be bothered. But the friend at the door continued to knock, and was persistent in his tenacity. He would not go away. He would not allow discouraging thoughts to convince him to give up. Jesus said at the end of the parable, "Though he would not rise and give him food out of friendship, he would open the door because of the friend's shameless persistence." So, I will not allow negative thoughts to defeat me, or cause me to walk away from my blessing, or cause me to think my Heavenly Father has shut His door on me, and don't want to be bothered.

I am reminded of David’s defeat over the giant Goliath and Samson’s defeat of a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. They did not win, thinking they would lose. They did not win, with a fearful foreboding lurking over their shoulders. The apostle Paul said we cast down foreboding thoughts and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Throw that devil off your shoulder, trying to convince you the cause is hopeless, and I'll do the same. The Lord hears our faintest cry, and He'll answer by and by.

David spoke to the Lord the words of this song,

"For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall. God is my strength and my power, and He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places."

“Where the mind goes, the man will follow. It’s impossible to have a positive life and at the same time, have a negative mindset.” (Quote by Bible teacher, Joyce Meyer)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Phil. 2:5

I'm going to keep on praying, and keep on keeping on, until my change comes.

Click here to hear Yolanda Adams singing I Believe I Can Fly

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

Couldn't Triumph Over Me

I was at my wit’s end. I had just all I could stand to take of foolishness. Walking to my car, I was talking out loud to the Lord who had been strangely silent for quite some time. Seemingly, watching me suffer attack and doing nothing about it. I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot, still talking aloud to the Lord. I asked Him, “When are You going to get angry with the devil, because I am good and furious right now?” Early the next morning before sunrise, there came a storm with loud, scary, booming thunder. I said to myself, “Wow, it sounds like God is mad about something.”

Later that same day, I was reading my Bible and happened to run across the following passage, while looking for another verse of Scripture.

But in my distress (my outrage) I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry reached His ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of His anger. Smoke poured from His nostrils; fierce flames leaped from His mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from Him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath His feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, He flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded Himself in darkness, veiling His approach with dense rain clouds. A great brightness shone around Him, and burning coals blazed forth. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot arrows and scattered His enemies; His lightning flashed, and they were confused. Then at the command of the Lord, at the blast of His breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. He reached down from heaven and rescued me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because He delights in me. The Lord rewarded me for doing right; He restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. I have followed all His regulations; I have never abandoned His decrees. I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. To the faithful You show Yourself faithful; to those with integrity You show integrity. To the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. You rescue the humble, but Your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them. O Lord, You are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness. In Your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. (2 Sam. 22:7-31 NLT)

This was a song of praise by David, who had been delivered from King Saul, who was always on the hunt to kill David. The Lord rescued David from King Saul, who ended up killing himself with his own sword. Also, the Israelites had come up against the Philistine giants once again, but God gave David and his warriors strength to kill them, again.

The author of Psalm 94 sounded as though he felt like I did, that day in my car. He said, "Lord, how long will You let the enemy triumph and gloat about it?" The Lord's response was to suggest that the psalmist (and me) were foolish in our summation that the Lord is not deeply moved by the actions of the wicked, who killed and afflicted the poor and helpless. It would be senseless to believe the God who made ears, cannot Himself also hear or understand the vain thoughts of mankind.

I wished I knew the answer to why the Lord sometimes does not come as quickly as we would like. I definitely believe that He can, and His word proves that He certainly does deliver, but His timing is to reason why. Nevertheless, He is our refuge at all times, whether we go through it, or whether we see our prayers answered directly. Through it all, He teaches us knowledge and instructs us in how to have faith in Him.

The apostle James encouraged us to let patience have its perfect work, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. This is how we profit from our trials and tribulations, allowing them to do their work in us. If God allows us to go through and endure the trial, He is doing something in us that cannot be gained otherwise. To whom much is given, much is also required.

Jesus Himself acknowledged in the second chapter of Revelation, that He is aware of our abhorrence to evil and that we cannot bear those who are evil. But to the overcomer, He has promised we will eat from the Tree of Life for eternity, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. As for the evil doer, they will be cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, to be tormented for eternity. That fate is a somber thought, even for the person the devil is using to afflict us.

The Lord wants to teach us to rest our faith squarely on His faithfulness and know that He loves us, even before we loved Him. This is a particularly difficult concept for me because I hate feeling ignored (with a passion), and that's what the waiting strategy is all about. After we have prayed and done the will of God, we have need of patience. God said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." I am thankful to know the Lord is always looking out for me. For sure, He does not appreciate anybody nor anything messing with His children.

“By this I know that You, O Lord, are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.” Hezekiah Walker sings a song that says, “I can’t help but give You glory, when I think about my story. And I know You favored me because my enemies did try, but couldn’t triumph over me, yes they did try, but couldn’t triumph over me.”

"God Favored Me" by Hezekiah Walker (YouTube Link)

The haters, the roadblocks, needless delays, the traps they set were unsuccessful, because no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Who can be against me when God is on my side? Surely, He shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the perilous pestilence. Because the Lord is my refuge and my dwelling place, no evil can befall me, nor shall any plague come near my dwelling.

When plagues passed through Egypt, the children of Israel, in the land of Goshen, were untouched because they had the blood upon the doorposts of their homes. The Egyptians suffered, but the Israelites were safe. The blood of Jesus covers me, and I am saved by His power.

Now, thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Cor. 2:14 NKJV)

I feel secure. The enemy could not nor cannot triumph over me. My God is willing and able to keep that which I have committed to Him, till the day Christ Jesus comes to take me home to glory.

God Cares

A few years ago, I read a book called Rainbow’s End by Irene Hannon. It arrived at my house during a time when I was confused, and asking the why-God-why question. Sometimes we feel like we are following God’s plan only to find ourselves in confusion and mayhem, wondering how did this happen while I was following God's plan. We might think, this can't be the will of God.

The funny thing about this book arriving at my house was that I had not ordered it. They sent it to me as part of a promotion to sign up for a monthly subscription.

The story is about a man that had lost his wife and set out to drive across country in an effort to find healing for his broken heart. He had been on the road a long time and was still just as broken and empty as ever. His relationship with the Lord was fading into oblivion, because he didn't understand why God was against him. This is where I come in. I could totally relate to how Keith felt, because at the time I was dealing with my own heart ache. Keith ended up getting stuck on a tourist island when a sudden thunderstorm rose up and he wasn't able to catch the ferry off the island. All the hotels were full and as a last ditch effort, he was told about this widow woman that had a cottage he could stay in overnight, but things just go from bad to worse.

It's hard to imagine that a God who loves us so much and has the power to do the impossible, can seem so far away when we need Him. Yet and still, He is the God of the impossible and He works in mysterious ways. Keith had lost faith in God, but he found it again at Rainbow's End. This story had a very big impact on my life. I bought a copy of it for my mother and my sister, praying that it would bring healing to them as well.

After the thunderstorm, comes the rainbow, and it is a sign of the everlasting covenant that God made with living, breathing creatures on the earth that He would not destroy it again by flood. It is a sign of His goodness toward mankind, even though we don't deserve it.

God knows what He's doing. Though to us at times, He appears so far away, and our prayers seemingly go on ignored. The truth is, He is a very present help in trouble. He knows how to heal the severely broken and the feeble. He is an on time God and He can be trusted to bear us up when we are torn down. Charles Spurgeon said, "We cannot always trace God's hand, but we can always trust God's heart."

He loves me and He loves you too. The Bible is full of men and women that trusted God and was delivered from all their afflictions. They were not put to shame by circumstances that God did not deliver them out of, for our God knows how to deliver and He is never late.

Ps. 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Ps. 147: 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Don't give up on God because He won't give up on you. Give Him your brokenness. Take hold of the horns of the alter and don't let go. Don't let the enemy, nor your circumstances deceive you into doubting that God is not concerned about everything little thing that concerns you.

Luke 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Thank You Lord for reminding me of Your ways of doing things... and that sometimes it does not line up with my way of thinking. I love You my everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove