Counting Yourself Out

Have you ever found yourself facing a situation & you feel defeated before you even start? You could be facing something out of your comfort zone & instead of relying on God, you're trying to rely on your own sheer will. Well...the bad news is that you can't do it alone, the good news is you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength!

Recently my sisters & I went to hike Crowders mountain...it was going great until we faced some steep hills & we didn't think we could make off.  This mountain was challenging but I knew that I had to have the right mindset to make it to the top. I had to tell my self & my sisters that this hill that we haven't even attempted yet will not defeat us. But we had two options: either turn around & admit defeat or pray & know that God gave us the strength to get up this mountain. God gave us the authority to tell the mountain to move if we so needed to. One of my sisters said "I'm not gonna make it" I said "So you're gonna let this mountain that we haven't even attempted defeat you sis?" My other sister & I slowed down to make sure we all did it together because:Ecclesiastes 4:12 says:

                     A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. 

If you would've told me 2-3 months ago I'd be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed you. My lifestyle has completely changed for the better from the inside out & it's nothing but GOD! It took from me to go through some really rough patches to truly submit to God & dig deeper into His word! Sometimes God takes us through tests to test our faith. We can either trust in Him to get us outta the mess we are in, or let the mess consume us. I chose to trust in Him to get me out & I have so much more clarity & peace. Standing at the top of this mountain gave me so much peace! We prayed when we reached the top and thanked God for all of His glory!

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5

I am a complete control freak, I like to know whatI'm doing, when, with who, for how long, etc. So surrendering it all it all to God was a challenge for me, but the peace and the reassurance that comes along with it feels so much better than trying to do it on my own!

I challenge you all to not allow your thoughts to consume you, focus on God.  The enemy loves to get in your head and tell you what you can't do and leave you defeated before you even attempt to do something.  But when you are focused on God and you listen for His voice, your paths will be made straight! 

Be Anxious For Nothing...

In the African American community it's a stigma to admit that you have any kind of mental illness. You're labeled as "crazy". Although many people deal with fear, anxiety & depression, it's swept under the rug or it's the elephant in the room that no one wants to address, so we tip toe around it. God forbid you're diagnosed with something more serious, you're really considered crazy & people tend to shy away from you.

So what do you do? You disassociate yourself from others for fear or judgement, for fear of being a burden to them, for fear of them just not understanding how you feel on the inside. You deny that there's anything wrong & attribute it to just being overwhelmed. You feel like no one can understand the way you feel on the inside, so you keep up your facade on the outside. All along, you engage in self destructive behavior, whether it be addition, promiscuity or spending money you don't have.

The cliche is admitting that there's a problem, well yeah...you can admit that but what next? Do you try to handle it or do you seek professional help? Seeking professional help means you REALLY have a problem & if others find out they'll look at you differently. Dealing on your own leads you to crash because this weight is not meant for you to carry, it's meant for God to carry. It's prideful to think that you can and or should carry your own burdens alone, give them to God He wants them, He wants to give you peace about any situation you may be experiencing.  

Matthew 11:28-30 says: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy and my burden.

When I first started this blog I stated that I would be as honest and transparent as I could.  I'm not normally a transparent person.  I tend to keep things to myself and deal with them the best that I know how and that is an unhealthy way of coping with things.  I know what God has called me to do and honesty, until yesterday I did not think that what I said mattered to anyone, it was more of an outlet for me.  It's easy or the encourager to encourage and motivate others, hard to be encouraged and motivated yourself.  

The key to finding your true self is to a face your inner demons head on and give those burdens to God,  He never intended for you to walk this journey alone.  Don't disassociate your self from your friends, God has placed them there to help you along your journey and they may have a different perspective on things.  Most importantly, don't be so hard on yourself! 

Life is going to give you so many trials and whether they make or break you is up to you, don't be broken.  Use these trials as a learning experiences. Use these as part of your testimony.  God won't ask something of you that He has not already put in you. 

Honestly, this was one of the most difficult blogs I have ever written, but I pray that my story and my experiences encourage someone else, and maybe one of you can encourage me!   

The story about Peter getting off of the boat really resonated with me, when he got off of the boat, he first had to have faith...next he had to leave behind the worry, fear  and anxiety.  We have to do the same thing, had Peter carried those things with him he would have sank! When you make the decision to have faith in what God is going to do in your life, you must leave the fear, doubt, worry, anxiety, ect. whatever burden you may be carrying has to be left!

1 Peter 5:7 says : Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I pray that whatever you may be going through you find strength and encouragement in the promises our Lord has given us! Understand that you have to go through these trials and tribulations because it builds character and you come out of the storm a better person! 

I love you all! Happy New Year!!