last day of 2011. reflections.

Not Going Back

The enemy has no power over us as Gods chosen. The only way that he can sneak and find his way back in, is if we let him in. Studies suggest that witches can not cast spells on children of God, unless the wich is welcome into that person's presence and that person accepts the curse. This is how the enemy works, he lures us with the hidden desires (temptation). James 1:14 states that "temptation, comes from the lure of our own evil desires." That said, the enemy has no power over us, we choose to fall into temptation, thus causing ourselves to be vulnerable to his attacks. The enemy cannot kill us, nor can he stop the promises of God for our lives; rather, he tries to pervert the promise so that it then does two things. One, it is a dirrect slap in the face to God, and two it causes us to miss out on the full potential of the promise God has for us. However, I have made up in my mind that I am not going to continue to hand over my promise to the enemy. If you want my promise you're going to have to kill me. The promise of a prosperity is mine, the promise of hope is mine, the promise to marry my beautiful best friend is mine, the promise of health and strength. I will no longer willingly give my promise away.

I thank you lord for this marvelous incite, and I pray that you lead and guide me into all truth in Jesus name.

AMEN!!

"i'm not going to hand over my promise to the enemy"....wow. what powerful words. i could have simply quoted those and chosen to left the entire entry off my blog...but there's something to be said about seeing that statement in context.

the promises of God.

i woke up this morning a bit distraught (to say the least) about what 2012 held before me. honestly, i have no earthly idea what God wants me to do. quit my job? start my photo business? start a non-profit? in that order? stay at my job and help out my kids some more? who knows? my mind right now is a jumbled mess of confusion. i'm having dreams and visions. fear is starting to creep back in? how does God give visions? how does He tell one what to do? He straight up spoke to Abraham...Moses went up on the mountain and there was a flaming bush...He spoke to Noah...in fact, Noah NEVER spoke back...God just kept telling Him what to do and He did. others at least questioned, but i never saw Noah open his mouth, not even to affirm what God said...He just did.

Even Mary questioned:

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin?

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you," and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.....For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

OMG. i just saw that bolded portion for the first time, and i've been reading that verse for several weeks. "For nothing is impossible with God."

wow. wow. wow.

God sends an angel, on specific assignment to talk to Mary. i wonder why God just didn't speak to her himself? would she not have believed? would she have questioned what He had to say? would she have thought it was her own voice instead of the voice of God and doubted what He was about to do? could God have even used Mary if she didn't believe? i wonder about these things sometimes, especially when thinking about my current position and conundrum.

she needed the power of the Holy Spirit to do what she did. that power "overshadow[ed]" her. it completely took over. what she did was not of her own volition. it was only by the power of God that she gave birth to Jesus and endured what i'm sure was much persecution for conceiving out of wedlock. she conceived something great...something that she could have never conceived without God...and God reassured at the very end that "nothing is impossible with God"...it's almost as if He could hear what she was thinking. "uhhhhhh....you want me to do what? the Son of God...ummmm.....uhhhh....this sounds a bit far fetched"....

the final statement was a reassurance...a "calm yo' nerves girl" statement. but Mary so easily believed..."I am your servant Lord..." i do what you tell me to. let it happen like you said. i guess it would have happened anyway because God predestined Mary to be the one to conceive Jesus in the first place. He foreknew us. He predestined us. she said yes because the Lord came and spoke her destiny straight to her face.

i need to the Lord to come and speak to me the way He spoke to Mary. yes, that's what i need. an angel. a person. dreams and visions are nice. but they're left up to my interpretation. send an angel. send your message LOUD AND CLEAR about what you want me to do.

today is the last day of 2011. i need vision for 2012. right now, i've got a bunch of different paths in front of me.

i'm at a crossroads and i'm not sure where to go.

"only fear thou not, for i am with thee".

as i look back on my journals, electronic and hand-written from 2011, i marvel at what God has done for me. He's developing me into a great woman of God. i thank Him for not forsaking me. i thank Him for being faithful even when I was not. i thank Him for never letting go of me and for manifesting His life through mine. i thank Him for healing and redemption. i thank Him for deliverance. i thank Him for my family and my friends. i thank Him for my cup running over and having more than enough to meet my needs. i thank Him for my church home and i thank Him for Bishop and Pastor Imani's lives. i thank Him for the opportunity to go to work everyday and touch lives. i thank Him for the strength...for peace, for love, for the man, for health, for opportunity, for life.

2011 was an awesome year, but 2012 will be my best to come. i am everything He says i am. His promises for me will be manifested. 2012 will be a year of great leaps of faith and great success in my spiritual, personal, and professional life. i am EXCITED to see what God is going to do.

there's treasure in this earthen vessel...i just want Him to manifest his life through me. when people see me, they will see the GLORY all on my life....and when they see it, i'll say..."it's Him. do you know Him? do you know Jesus, the Son of God who died so that we could live?...."

because, when it's all said and done, isn't that what He commissioned me to do?

God, use me in 2012. empty me out, so that you can fill me up with you. i'm yours. use me.

Good by 2011.

I look forward to 2012.