Here’s a verse:

My soul, waiteth thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5

What words jump out at you? For me it is the longest word of the verse: expectation. This word is defined in the dictionary as a belief that something is about to happen or is likely to happen. Expectation is synonymous with anticipation and the Hebrew word for expectation is tiqvah, the thing that is hope for, longed for.  In the longing is the thought of waiting, which is in the above verse.

What happens when we wait? For example, if we are in the checkout line at a store waiting to pay for our items, we stand still, don’t move until our turn comes. We eventually put our items down for the cashier to tally the total we are to pay, so we can take our items. What can happen while we are waiting in line?

For one, it is the experience of dread. The cashier is taking too long, and we start to think when will our turn come to get in front of the cashier. The anticipation may turn to apprehension, particularly when the register does not show the price of an item, and the cashier has to get the dreaded “price check.” (Uggghhh!) That only adds to more waiting. Then the process of checking out completely comes to a halt, ceases to operate, adding to frustration, causing you to wonder why you picked this line in the first place.

As it is in the checkout line, so it is in life. Psalm 62 is wrapped around God who is described as being our  defence, refuge, and strength. Because God is this and more, we shall not be greatly moved (or shaken or overthrown), while we wait. The underbelly of waiting on the Lord is the word faith, and is the main word of Hebrews 11:1, which  says

 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is a conviction grounded in God, an assurance that our belief system in Christ will cause anticipation to become reality, and until it does we who believe will not be cast aside, because we choose to abide in the refuge of God, who provides salvation (verses 1, 2, 6, and 7,), power (verse 11), and mercy (verse 12).

So while you are in the waiting line of expectation, and (in your opinion) the waiting is taking an excessive amount of time, know that there is a purpose to God taking the time to do a price check, as it could be the price is too much for your life to pay for, deciding it needs to be returned to inventory for you to choose something much better.

Until the right comes along with His approval, wait I say on the Lord, standing still while being strengthenized in the process…

For years I have been struggling with the issue of sleep. When it is time to sleep and get rest, I go to sleep, but I don’t get much rest. From a sleep I had, it was discovered I suffer from sleep apnea. Apnea is defined as a temporary cesstation of breathing, and it can occur with people of any age, from  newborns to adults.  I have been sleeping with a machine for some years now, and while it has greatly improved the air flow while I sleep, I often awake during the night, and when my morning begins and I wake up for the day, I am tired.

So tired I have been for the past three days I decided perhaps I just need a day to get away from the usual way of doing life (another way of saying going to the office to work). Since the weather has been warm, I thought being outside instead of being in a windowless office would do the body good. But earlier this week I thought about something, and it seemed like God opened a spiritual window and showed me something.

One evening I was so tired I wanted to go to bed. The problem with that is that it was only 6:30. There was no way I could go to bed for the evening that early, as I knew at best I could get four hours of sleep in, and there would be a big possibility I would be wide awake at a time when many would be preparing to go to sleep for the night: 10:30. Then it would take me two to three hours to get back to sleep, tossing and turning every step of the way. Instead I decided to write.

My goal was to commit to writing at least an hour each evening and see if I could get some creative juices flowing. I discovered through opening up the bible and looking up some scripture that I wanted to write about would  start the process. The more I read, the more the focus seemed to shift away from being tired, and I noticed I was awakening. I noticed I was not so tired as when I came home, and when I looked at the clock instead of an hour it was now two hours later, and I felt better. What happened here, I thought. As I sat back in my chair trying to piece together an answer. I realized I was reading the living word of God, and the more I read the more I became alive. I felt as though God was saying “take in more of me, and I will cause you to live.” This kept happening. The next evening I did the same thing, and the awakening happened again. Then that spiritual window opened and I realized something. What happens when you are tired? For one, I don’t do anything, I don’t move much, I don’t think much, I don’t keep that commitment to write. I feel down, frustrated, and get tired of thinking about being tired, all things that keep me stagnated, far away from obtaining goals, feeling stuck in neutral. It is a subtle but effective way the enemy keeps me from reaching my God-given purpose in life.

And isn’t that just where the enemy would have me be? After all, if I am in stuck mode, I will not fulfil the purpose for which God has created me. The victory would not be reached. I surmised that there is a war going on, and if I’m going to win, I need the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, deep down within. What good is the Word of God to you if you do not know, if you don’t read? I had to admit that though I am tired, I must contend for the faith, and fight not on my own, but with  the knowledge of God’s Living Word through Jesus Christ, who is the Living Word.

What subtleties do you encounter that hinders you from truly living in Christ? Eating unhealthy, not exercising, and most importantly, not reading? Be challenged to fight the good fight of faith by knowing what God’s lifetime manual, the Living Word has to say. The only way you will know is to ingest a biblical meal, coming alive in the process.

Be strengthenized…

Sunday I had planned to be somewhere else for the afternoon, a place where I could be with friends I had not seen in a while, enjoy some good food and relax.

That didn’t happen. The host where the shindig was to take place was sick, and understandably needed to be in bed for much needed rest.

I later discovered God had a different plan, so I went to an afternoon church service where I volunteer my time by singing. Because I thought I was not going to be there I did not review the song list that had been emailed earlier in the week. But when I arrived, I found the list and reviewed it. I saw a song I had not sung in years: the National Black Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing.

For me, that has always been a tough song to sing: the musicality of the chords, for one, and the lyrics are so meaningful to a group of people that have struggled from slavery times of our country to the present. Anyone who sings it strives to sing it with the respect it deserves. I thought someone else was going to lead it, but she was not present. I was for the moment the only African American female in a band of mainly white musicians who did not know how to play the song, and I tried to teach them the chords. Oh boy, how is this going to turn out, I thought.

Here’s the good part. The musicians took on the challenge,  and for the most part found the chords and played the best they could; they respected the song. As for me, my respect of the song came from reviewing the lyrics and noticing they were wrong. Unfortunately, our music leader picked lyrics off the internet from a singer who recorded the song but revised the lyrics. (I don’t know why an African American singer who I’m assuming knew the history of that song would change the lyrics that meant so much to so many.) It was too late to reprint the church’s program, so an announcement was made that the song would be sung using the original lyrics, which the singer (me) had.

I felt I needed to represent. Represent my people through singing this song, presenting it to a congregation, the majority of which were of a different race. I felt  James Weldon Johnson who wrote the poem on which the song is based (music provided by his brother John Rosamond Johnson) would want his song treated with respect through the God-given sound of one generations later. I hope he was pleased with the effort of the band, the singers and I .

As I left the church, I walked away with a smile on my face. Only God could have rearranged plans, to get me to the church to sing so important a song that represented a time in history and remains so prevalent to this day. It represented God and His people. The band and the singers bonded together to represent, displaying what it means for all people to come together and honor God.

What can you do, to Represent?  Hope you find the path…

I wish I could describe to you what I am feeling and why I am feeling it, but right now all I can say is I am excited! This year many have said is a year of change. I so believe that to be true. In the past when I wanted to change there was always some type of blockage the stopped me in my tracks. But this year, something is different. I feel an atmosphere of freedom, as if God is saying “I am giving you the go ahead. Continue on.”

Earlier today I was thinking that I wish I could experience an audible voice like those of the Old Testament, where a question would be asked of God and he would answer audibly. I listen to testimonies from those being called into the ministry how they audibly heard the voice of God. I can’t say that has happened to me personally, but dreams have been occurring that I can remember when I awaken; beautiful dreams with a message of the greater is soon to happen. But I must caution you on one thing:

If you have been catching something similar to the above, the time is now, and it is not a time to sit idle, waiting for it to happen. The time is now to get prepared and ready. If you haven’t already done so, pray to be steered to the right avenue where the new job awaits for you, ministry is waiting to be launched through you, and a mentally and physically transformed you is about to be presented to the world! This is not a time to be asleep, and not a season to think and act like you did in the past:

 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Isaiah 43:19

The first part of this verse is exploding with excitement, but look at the last part; it has the words wilderness and desert. That means there may be times that are difficult (wilderness) and dry (desert), as though it appears the “it” will not happen. but here’s the good part. Within this verse God promises it is he who will make a way during your wilderness experience, and there will be plenty to drink while in the dryness of the desert. But you must press on, having faith that God will get you through.

New things in 2016! Get ready to take a bold leap, ’cause though you may not be able to totally explain it, something’s about to happen;  can you feel it?

There is  a God who is for us and not against us. We have access to a God that is willing to do everything for us. Is that a problem for you? It may be, because while God is available, many do not pursue the supply he has for us. The bible says

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”       Philippians 4:19

Why is it that we don’t experience the supply? It may be that the emphasis is more on the need than the supply. For example, the need may be regarding being finances. It could be anything from paying one bill to making a decision of going into foreclosure and declaring bankruptcy. What would happen if we went to God and tapped into his supply? He encourages us to make our requests be made known to God, and in exchange he will give us peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:6). But here may be what is happening: dwelling on the problem instead of embracing the solution of God’s supply.

Here is what I mean. Here are two prayers:

Prayer A: ” God I need help. Every time I think I am making headway, something else comes up. When am I ever going to get my head above water? When will the breakthrough come? How is it going to happen? How, why, when ……”

Prayer B: “God, you know what I need, but I know what you promise. You said you will supply my need according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. You said to give my requests to you and you will handle it. You encourage me to cast my cares upon you for you care for me. And so I am trusting you for who you are, and what you have blessed me with in the past, and if you did it before, you can and will supply me with benefits again…”

I hope you can see the difference. Prayer A is more a complaint of what is going wrong, and Prayer B is more acknowledgement. The difference between the two is emphasis. One prayer is emphasis on the problem, while the other prayer is emphasis on the infinite supply of God. Please don’t get me wrong I have “prayed” more “A” prayers than I can count, particularly when I believe I am in a crisis situation. But when I pray the “B” prayers, there is such a difference. The peace comes, and my mental chaos subsides, enabling me to continue on, though I don’t have answers or solutions.

In order to do the “B” prayers one has to have knowledge of what the bible says, which is a recording of God’s promises. Doing a study on what those promises are, and researching the many names of God like Jehovah-jireh (which means God my provider) will aid you in knowing more about God that can be incorporated in your prayers and daily meditation on him.

So be encouraged and strengthenized, and tap into God’s supply…what is your emphasis?

Every Sunday is a good  day, and this Sunday was no different. Having a day to myself was good, being able to go to my church (hadn’t been there in a couple of months due to caring for my mother) and chat with people I hadn’t seen in a while was good. I was also reminded of some things through the message of the service, hearing words like purpose and going to others who can be a buffer and lend a listening ear to our struggles, concerns, and excitement, like Elizabeth was to Mary in the first chapter of Luke in the New Testament. Elizabeth was a support to Mary, sharing in the births of their sons, and praising God for his faithfulness. My support today was through a young man who rendered his poem Aimless.

A compelling word collection of creative writing, the poem described the angst of  not feeling good enough coupled feelings of letting supporting friends down in the process. He spoke of his struggles, his fears and lack of determination to move forward and trust in himself through the talent of his writing gift. His words struck a chord deep within my soul, to the point I fought back tears (the tears won). At the same time I felt a need to send him a message of how touched I was at his gifting of thought while attempting to encourage him that he was not aimless at all, that his words meant something. I reached out to him, and he was appreciative of my response.

Later, after I got home, there was a message from a preacher on the television that spoke of having a support system: “do not do life alone.” I know this has been my issue. Not feeling like I fit in and feeling alone in a crowd has always been a bone of contention…with myself. Yet I know I need to have such a support system and stop being a loner, a community of one.

God is community, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all supporting each other, all functioning differently yet complimenting one another. If God has a support system within Himself, surely I must have the same: mind, body and spirit. But God did not do things all alone, as he had persons like Moses and Joshua, Deborah and Barak, the disciples, and let us not forget Mary who gave birth to Jesus, enabling him to enter the world. All were instrumental in supporting God’s plan and purpose. But what about the rest of us? What about me?

A new year is about to be ushered in with year 2016 just around the corner. I feel God is saying to get a support system in place, which will be needed in accomplishing what he has in store for me. And if what I am hearing is correct, then something is about to be born, and I have to be ready for it.

How about you? What has God been saying to you more than once during this present year that you need to put in place? What have you known for a while that God has been nudging you about that needs to get done before the “big thing” presents itself? Is fear preventing you from doing it? If fear is false evidence appearing real, then it must be acknowledged that fear is not of God, and there is no fear in him. If the nudging has continued, know that God has not giving up on you, and you are the person for the purposeful task he has in store for you to accomplish, as no one else can do it but you.

 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? Isaiah 43:19 (italics mine)

Be strengthenized…

A few months ago, I felt overwhelmed at work. I was very, very behind in everything, and did not know how I was going to be successful. If you read my blog called lucidity2015.wordpress.com, you will understand why. Add to that my own health issues and by the time October rolled around, I was getting close to feeling helpless. But I remembered a prayer a couple of pastors prayed over me in September. They told me God would meet the need and I would get caught up. No one knew the health issue my mother would have in next month, but one thing I can say: God is being faithful in meeting the need.

Life does not always go as we plan it, and while I wanted to quickly get work done, it has not happened at that pace. But it has been getting done, just at a much slower pace than I imagined. I noticed that during the summer I had attempted to put some goals in place, and now months later, I discovered they actually have worked for my good. Something I thought I misplaced was found. Work I thought was not completed actually was done, I just needed to do a couple of things and the work was finished.

So here is the is the challenge for everyone who reads this. If there is a request you ask  God to solve, trust that he will meet that need, regardless of how the situation looks. Your job is to keep trusting as you keep doing. Don’t give up on yourself, and don’t give up on God. I read somewhere to allow your faith to be stronger than the situation. The elements that make up those frustrating situations cause us to think there is no solution;  but  there is One who, if we ask, can provide the answer. As the song goes, “if you trust and never doubt, he will surely bring you out.”  May not be a quick fix, and may take some time, but it will happen…if we will only trust in a God who does not fail in his faithfulness towards us.

Be strengthenized…

With Lucidity2015, the main idea was to write about being a caregiver.

Strengthenize will attempt to encourage all that read it, and the themes will be on anything and everything, but with a hope that is biblically based.

First post is forthcoming…