Before I tell you what my word is for this year, I have to go back to last year’s word, and that is, Come. I know for a fact that God gave me that word. At first, I thought it was an unusual word to focus on for a whole year and a bit random, but the more I prayed about it and dug in the word of God, I knew God was onto something. So many times throughout last year did I NEED that word and you’d be surprised how many scriptures have it in it! God is so amazing that He KNOWS exactly what we need and when we’re gonna need it. I needed that word when my hubby got sick in India, when I battled fear and anxiety like never before, when we packed our bags to come back to America, when my daughter got married and moved 4.5 hours away, when loneliness sets in, when life is changing so fast that you don’t know how to keep up, when I had covid, or when anything wouldn’t go as planned, etc.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28
All throughout last year I struggled in my mind and that leaked into other areas in my life. When I go back to when it first started it was when my hubby got sick in India. There was so much trauma and confusion and fear that was released, That it opened a door for satan to attack me in my mind and emotions. And it has been a long battle for me to overcome. Never in my life have I ever experienced any mental battles like this.
That brings me to my word for this year, but we need another back story to that…
We went to Tucson Conference in November, and the word dominion jumped out at me during a worship service, and I felt in my spirit that that was going to be my word for the year. I hadn’t even thought about praying for a word up to that point. Throughout the week I kept noticing that word in testimonies, songs, and sermons. That’s when I knew what God was saying… that what I desperately need is dominion. All of 2021, I was battling. I was in a spiritual fight. There was so much warfare going on in my mind that I was spiritually, mentally, and physically weary. I was beat down. I was exhausted. But I wasn’t willing to give up.
God gave me that word in November, the end of the year because He was showing me that I may have lost some rounds, but I didn’t have to lose the fight. In the 11th round, I got my second wind and God gave me the victory!
DOMINION. That’s my word and I’m going to hold onto it with everything I Have. I’m going to apply it to other areas in my life and I expect to see major breakthrough in myself this year. We’re barely 7 days into the new year, and I have already seen some drastic changes in my life.
Stay tuned because in my next blog post, I’m gonna be talking about what areas in my life I want to have dominion in.
Thank you for stopping by and leave me a comment if this encouraged you at all or just to say hi! Don’t forget to follow so you’re notified every time I post.
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke 10:19
Today is the last day of my thankfulness countdown, and it’s dedicated to my most cherished relationship of all, and that’s with Christ. I am so eternally grateful to Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins. 23 years ago, I begrudgingly walked into a Christian Church. I wasn’t looking for God or anything like that, I was only going so my friend would stop inviting me. The agreement was, I would go with her one time and she would never bring up church to me again. I was 18 at the time, just graduated from high school two weeks prior, and honestly, I didn’t have any plans to ever step foot in a church, especially not now.
So I went. And I was scared, because I saw how much my friend had changed. She went from being my care free crazy friend who loved to party to a Bible reading church girl. And I did not want that to happen to me. But God had other plans. All I know, is that when I walked into that church, every single person was so nice and welcoming and already new me by name, bc my friend had told them I was finally going. (Apparently, they had been praying for me) Anyways, I thought everyone was fake, bc no one can possibly be this happy, at least not in the world I was living in, they’re not. Not unless they wanted something from you. By the end of service, when pastor was giving the Altar call, I felt something changing in my heart, but I was too embaressed to respond. A girl approached me asking if I wanted to pray, so I did. (Little did I know that she would one day be my sister in law!) Because of that one simple prayer of repentance, my life began to change. I can’t explain it, other than the fact that God was drawing me to Him. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. My life before that day was spiralling downhill fast. I was an 18 year old girl, who was very insecure and lonely and brokenhearted. I didn’t trust anyone. I didn’t have plans or goals for my life. All I knew Is what I saw all around me- sex, drugs, alcohol, and partying. But if I’m honest, I never once enjoyed it or even wanted to do any of that. It’s just what was around me since I was a child, so that’s all I new.
But Jesus stepped on the scene, and changed everything!
My relationship with God started off very slow, bc I was still unsure if any of this was real. Maybe God was gonna be like all the other men in my life and leave me. Maybe he’ll change his mind about me like my real dad did, he left me before I was even born. He Never gave me a chance.
Finally, one day it all clicked. God is Nothing like any of the men in my life… He’s way better! That’s when I learned that God is the Father to the fatherless that He will never leave me or forsake me. I finally fully surrendered to God.
Here I am 23 years later, living a life even better than I could have ever dreamed of!
My relationship with God is so important to me. It’s something that I’m thankful for every single day, not just on Thanksgiving. I don’t know where I would be today if it weren’t for God sending my friend to me, because I sure as heck wasn’t looking for him.
There’s this song we used to sing at church years ago that I love…
” Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. I once was lost, but now I’m found. A hopeless case, an empty place, If not for grace. Where would I be? You only know. I’m glad you see, through eyes of love. A hopeless case, An empty place, if not for grace.
Thank you Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins when I was lost and broken. I am who I am today because of you. Everything that I was searching for, I found in you.
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It’s still Thanksgiving on the other side of the world, so if you haven’t told someone how thankful you are for them, you still have time! And it doesn’t only have to be once a year that you do it either. There’s this book I read last year called The Gratitude Diaries, and oh my goodness that book was an eye opener on how much of a grumpy pants I was, bc I was ungrateful.
Enjoy time spent with your loved ones, and I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving day!
Today’s post on being thankful is dedicated to the beautiful country of India! I honestly don’t even know where to start with this one, because I have a long list of things. Ok, I’ll start with my phobias that I’ve had to overcome while being here.
Phobia #1: Large bodies of water. I’m not afraid of water, but I do not feel comfortable being surrounded by large bodies of water or driving on bridges that go over water. I’m not much of a swimmer, but I especially do not like getting in water if I can’t see the bottom. Being in Kochi for the past couple of years has forced me to get over that phobia real quick, because we are surrounded by water! In our first apartment, we could literally see The Arabian Sea from our window. I eventually learned to appreciate the view, and the few bridges that we’ve had to cross haven’t been too bad.
Phobia #2: Head lice. First let me start off by saying, if I see someone with lice, I immediately want to start checking their head and cleaning it out. I know, I know, gross and weird, but whatever. Lol But it’s also a phobia of mine bc for some strange reason, they love my head, and if I’m in the same room with someone who has them, chance are very high that i will walk away from that visit with an unwelcomed guest, even if I didn’t go near that person! India is a very crowded place, So for the first few months of us being here, I saw so many girls with head lice! We’d be squished in an elevator at the mall, and I’m standing next to a girl who’s got them. And I’ll just lock eyes with jeremiah and give him a look of terror. (He would laugh!) Honestly, I haven’t figured out why so many ppl here have them. I’m guessing maybe bc it’s so hot and humid, I’m not sure. Just in case you’re wondering, because I know you are, yes, I’ve gotten them a couple of times over here. And yes, I panicked like crazy, and was obsessed with picking my head like a monkey, and I smelled like vinegar for weeks bc even though I was lice free after a couple of days, I still treated my hair bc just in case… You never know! This phobia might have been a little TMI, but hey, this is real stuff,man! Lol Is your head starting to itch by hearing me talk about it??? Lol Mine is!! Hahaha PS. We don’t get in elevators anymore!
Phobia #3: Rats. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep hatred for any type of rodent or anything that looks like one, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc…ugh. India has rats in all shapes, sizes, colors, and they’re isn’t a shortage of these creatures either..lol I’m so grateful that it’s not so bad in Kochi. Don’t get me wrong, they’re there. I’ve seen my share of rats and I get grossed out every single time. Here’s a funny story for you… We were at a small shop looking for ethnic wear with some friends. I was walking towards the back to try a dress on, and I stepped on something squishy. I didn’t think anything of it and kept walking. Well, something told me to look back and see what it was, and it was a mouse!!!! It was army crawling to the other side of the store. I screamed so loud, that people from the downstairs shop and people from outside came running up the stairs to see what was wrong. Oh. My. Goodness. I was so freaked out, I didn’t care that they laughed, all I know is I wanted out of there… Forget the dress! Lol Well… This one I haven’t quite overcome yet. I’m still working on it.
So yes, India has helped me overcome and work through these phobias, and for that, I am grateful.
India has also shown me that there is a lot that I can live without. For instance, we haven’t had a dryer the whole time we’ve been here. We have to hang our clothes on a dryer rack, and it’s no problem at all. We just got a small convection oven, but I lived 2 years without an oven. We managed by making no bake desserts, if we had a sweet tooth. I’ve learned to make so many different foods from scratch because they don’t offer them here, or if they do, it’s so expensive. Now, we all know that I’m no Betty Crocker, nor have I ever been. Me and the kitchen have a love-hate relationship, mostly hate. However, I’ve been shocking myself with the things I’ve been making from scratch, and they actually come out tasting pretty good! It may not look good, but it tastes good and that’s all that matters… Right!?! So today, I made homemade pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie tomorrow. Jeremiah went to the butcher and got us a ham that I’m gonna have to clean and season all by myself. There’s no fully cooked spiral cut honey glazed hams here. I’m nervous as heck about having to make that! Jordyn and I have been on a gluten free diet bc of some medical issues we were having, so we’ve been looking up different Gluten free recipes and our Thanksgiving pies will be gluten free! Had we been in America, I know for a fact we would’ve just gone to the store to buy ready made gluten free stuff. Well, it’s not very common here, so it is hard to find anything without gluten here in South India.
I’ve learned to be thankful for every single inconvenience that I’ve come across. I make the best out of every situation, or at least try to. I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life so much more. We weren’t able to go to my son’s wedding, and after i cried, I thought to myself, I am so grateful for Livestream. This wasn’t available some years back, but it is for me. India has also taught me to relax. It’s definitely a slower paced life for us compared to life in America. Except the driving, there’s nothing slow paced about the driving! Nothing. We’ve learned to appreciate eachother more, as a family. Our family has gotten so much closer. You would think bc we’re always together we’d get tired of eachother and start bickering. For the most part, It’s not like that… Well… Unless I’m the one who starts it! Lol
India has been so good to us as a family and individually. Every single one of us have gone beyond our comfort zone in some way. From learning the local language, to getting on a rick Shaw or Uber alone, trying new food, asking a local for directions, riding a scooter,… Whatever it may be, we have learned to live our lives in our new normal. I’m so grateful that I have changed so much while living India. I’m doing things that I never thought possible. Sometimes we’ll be driving and Jeremiah will say, “Can u believe we’re in the middle of India!?” It seriously doesn’t seem real, And I almost forgot what life was like in America.
India will forever be etched in our hearts. It is in India where I found out what it’s really like to trust God. It is in India where I realized that I needed a deeper relationship with God. It is in India where my family got stronger. You know, it’s a beautiful thing when you have nothing or no one else to rely on, but God. He is so good and so faithful, and I have definitely felt God the most, here in India.
What an honor and a joy it is to be here learning and living outside of our comfort zone.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7
I’d like to take time to tell all of my friends, new and old, that I am very thankful for you. Your prayers and investment in my family do not go unnoticed. I am so grateful to have you in my life. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do and be where we are if it wasn’t for you. Praying and thinking of you all, especially during this week of Thanksgiving.
Sexual sin has been exposed. My heart is saddened at the people that it has latched itself to. The families that it is destroying is heartbreaking. This spirit is nothing you want to mess around with.
It’s vicious. It spreads like wild fire.
It’s a family breaker, a purity taker, and a robber of all joy.
The day where you go the extra mile to show a little extra love and attention to the people you care about! This is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate, but I know for some people it isn’t. To me, it’s not a day set apart only for…as my fellow Indian friends call them… “The love birds!” It’s for everyone.. Your parents, siblings, kids, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and the list goes on. You don’t have to lose the victory if you’re single on Valentine’s Day. I’ve traveled to many places and countries, and one thing is the same everywhere I go, and that is EVERYONE wants to fall in love. Everyone is looking for their ” happily ever after.”
It’s something that God put in us. The desire to love and to be loved. One of the first questions that we’re asked here by our young adult single friends is if we had a love marriage or an arranged marriage? This is my hubby’s response, “I arranged it and she loved it!” Lol Of course, everyone just laughs, but that’s just proof that we all crave love.
I have a question for you awesome single people out there:
What are you going to do while you wait?
You can either sit around focusing on the things you don’t have and be bitter when one of your friends find love OR You can embrace this season of your life.
You can get inpatient and put matters in your own hands and settle for just anyone and hope it all works out OR live with the confidence that Jesus has your future planned out.
You can live a wild and careless life OR You can stay focused on living clean and staying pure.
My advice to you is, don’t awaken love before it’s time. Don’t rush love, It’ll happen. Don’t Force love, it won’t last.
In this time of waiting focus on sharing what true Love really is, and that’s Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins. Keep your eyes so focused on God that you don’t have time to worry about what you don’t have.
Enjoy being single!
Being married is amazing and wonderful, but there are some things that are not as easy to do that we were able to do while we were single. Does that make sense?
Love is a choice.
Being content is a choice.
Living clean and pure is a choice.
Speaking of living clean, check out my friend’s Instagram page @qleanapparel or their website liveqlean.com (it’s under maintenance right now but will be up & running again soon!)
Their business is all about living clean-on the inside and out!
Lately I’ve been taking inventory of my life… Been doing a lot of soul searching. Asking myself how have I survived 21 years of serving God? How have I been married for almost 20 years? And how in the world did I get to the point in my life where I am now…
And I think I have the answer. Obviously, it’s Jesus, right!? Yes.
But it’s more than that.
I’ve made it this long in my salvation and in my marriage because from the very beginning of my salvation I’ve had people investing in my life. People who have become closer to me than my own family. I figured out early on in my salvation that I needed friends who were not only gonna be cool to hang with a few times a week, but friends who I would allow to speak into my life and challenge my faith and call me out if need be. I needed those types of friendships and I need to be that type of friend, too.
Why am I telling you this, you ask?
Well, I’m an observer. I notice things that maybe some people don’t notice. I see things that others may not see right away… Especially when it comes to my kids. I believe that God put that in us as parents for multiple reasons and one is so we can pray for them. And two, so we can deposit words of wisdom and knowledge and help guide them in the ways of God.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have saved parents to help me in this area, but what i did have were people that God put in my life to teach me how to truly be saved.
I was once the new convert; New to the church, family drama, fornicating, no car, etc., And yes I needed friends in the church to hang out with but I also needed them to challenge me to change. They didn’t always preach to me, but they guided me by their example and by making every time we hung out intentional.
Jesus was always at the center of everything they said and did, and that is what attracted me to them and to God.
They weren’t even that cool in my eyes lol, but there was something about them that was different from what i was used to and that is what I knew I wanted and needed.
And I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be here if they were carnal Christians trying to fit in the world and at the same time trying to follow up on me.
I already knew how to be carnal and worldly, that was easy. What I didn’t know how to be was saved and set apart.
My whole point is to challenge & encourage you to be different and set apart from this world… For the sake of the destiny of others, who may be new to the church or not saved at all and for your sake, as well.
We have too many carnal Christians.
What we need are on fire Christians who are sold out & Holy Ghost filled who are unashamedly willing to reach this lost and dying world!
And you my friend, are that person. It’s in you.
I want to encourage you to keep being a friend to that new convert who God brought into your life and to challenge them and draw a line when need be. And at the same time, challenge yourself to step it up and start getting aggressive with the devil and not let mediocrity snatch them away.
Because you never know, that new convert who doesn’t seem to quite “get it” could possibly be used powerfully by God one day! And it’ll all be because you actually took the time to help lead and guide them on the straight and narrow road right to their destiny.
They will one day look back on the past 21 years of their lives, with such a grateful heart and thank you for all the time spent on them, thank you for all the late night talks, thank you for the many times they made bad choices and you were there to help them get back up and continue on the road they never thought was possible and even thank you for the numerous amounts of rebukes that you might have to give. They will thank you for never giving up on them and for believing in them even when they didn’t believe in themselves.
As I count down the days to our departure, I can’t help but to think of every single person who has helped me get to this point in my life.
(Because I was not the easiest new convert to deal with!…I was a rebellious little thang!) I want to thank each and every one of you. I know without a shadow of a doubt, I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for y’all. Never in a million years would I have ever thought I’d be where I’m at now.
But most of all, I am so grateful for the love and patience of Christ. He has been so good & faithful to me throughout the years. And I’m looking forward to see the next chapter of my life unfold!
Once upon a time, there was a young lovely girl who always dreamed of marrying a young handsome prince and Have beautiful children of their own some day.
I love Everything about February…The hearts that are displayed everywhere you go…roses & banners of love…splashes of reds & pinks…chocolate covered strawberries…v-day cards & goodies… Continue reading “How’s your heart?”→
Hello there, blog friends! I’m hoping everyone had a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year with family and friends. Here’s a recap of 2017 since I hardly got on here. Continue reading “Recap of 2017”→
The Wacker Factor 