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The Cost of Your Yes

Hi Faith Travelers!

Have you ever looked at a person who was successful in your eyes, or a well known speaker, pastor or entrepreneur who looked to have it all together as they thrive in their perspective position. Its so easy for us to look at the finished product and never think about the process it took to get there. Its even easier to look at that same person and never think about what it cost them to get to where they are; only to realize it cost them more than you may be willing to pay.

Everything has a cost, its a matter of if the cost is worth it and if you’re willing to pay it. When it comes to saying “Yes” to Jesus that’s definitely a worthy cost but it doesn’t always feel good to pay it. Why, you ask? Well, because saying Yes to Jesus will cost you…it may cost a little…it may cost you a lot…but it will cost you. Some of the areas of the cost include but are not limited to:

  1. Comfort: When you tell God, “Yes” and that you want to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus ( See Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23), that means you relinquish the comfort of doing what you want to do when you want to do it and how you want to do it. Your life becomes a living sacrifice ( See Romans 12:1) as a vessel for the Kingdom of God. This can look like doing something you are terrified to do like starting a business or ministry when you don’t have the strategy nor the funds to execute but all you hear from the Lord is “Trust Me” and to “Move Forward”. Easier said that done but when you give your “Yes”, moving forward is the only next step to take.
  2. Control/Your Will & Priorities: When you give God your “Yes”, you relinquish the grip on all aspects of your life by leaning not on your own understanding ( See Proverbs 3:5-6) and instead following His lead and guidance for your life. You surrender all control and allow God to move as He sees fit. A great example of this is in Luke 22:42 when Jesus knew the Father was leading Him to make the ultimate sacrifice to save all of humanity and He asked if there was any way that this assignment could pass from him but in the same breath, Jesus said, Not my will but Your Will be done.
  3. Personal Strength: When God leads you to do those unimaginable things He’s called you to, you are no longer able to do them by your natural intellect nor your own strength. The Bible says in Zechariah 4:6 “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts. That means that even when you try to do God instructed things by your own intellect and strength it just won’t work because it takes yielding to God, His strategy and ordered steps to execute or walk through what He is leading you to, even when that something is as simple as forgiving someone who hurt you deeply. It all takes God’s strength and not our own (See John 15:5). It can be painful at times to grasp that revelation.
  4. Relationships: Growing in God will often cost you friendships and land you in seasons of separation & isolation for God to heal you, spiritually grow you and align you to His purpose and plan for your life and the process through that isn’t always smooth or clean cut ( See 1Peter 5:10). Those seasons can be lonely and painful especially when you may be walking through circumstances where you need that tangible shoulder to lean on but God is showing you total dependency on Him.

Those cost may sound small to some but to those navigating through circumstances where they are in uncomfortable & uncertain seasons, having to relinquish control to do things God’s way versus their own and having to do it without familiar community it can be difficult to navigate physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

For me, it hasn’t been a walk in the park at all, as most of you have read over the years. I’ve been in several near death situations, dealt with unknown health issues, stepped out in faith to start a blog with no writing experience, changed my career after 14years doing something totally different, as directed by the Lord, with no prior experience in the new field and walked through seasons of loss, affliction and isolation; yet I still stand. I stand firm in knowing that God has beyond a great work in me and He will complete until Christ returns ( See Philippians 1:6). I may has lost comfort, control, personal strength and relationships but I’ve gained spiritual growth, peace, trust and alignment with God’s plan for my life.

My ‘Yes” to God cost me something. But my “no” would’ve cost me everything. Will you give Him your “Yes”?

Until the next Faith Message…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith journey Here!

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God Won’t Always Do It The Same Way: My Fibroid Story

HI Faith Travelers!

July is Fibroid Awareness Month and in light of this month bringing awareness to what so many women suffer in silence with, I’d like to share my own personal story and experience with fibroids.

Over 7 years ago, I had my first major surgery. It was a myomectomy to remove 6 fibroid tumors from my uterus. After experiencing so many miracles in my health, as you’ve read, this was the experience that helped me to realize that God won’t always do it the same way. Sometimes when God doesn’t give you the miracle, He makes the miracle.

Fibroid tumors in my uterus had inflated my stomach to the size of a 6 month pregnant woman. I was only in my early 30s with no understanding as to why my hip kept dislocating out of place. Well it was because the biggest fibroid was pushing up against my spine causing my hip to painfully push out of place very often. Special shoutout to my chiropractor during those times!

About 7 years before I appeared to have a 6 month pregnant like belly, I was first educated on that fact that I had 2 very small fibroid tumors. By 2015, I’d made some natural lifestyle changes and when the fibroid discussion came up I continued to put my faith in them shrinking and disappearing on their own. God had performed so many miracles in my life, so I believed just like when He miraculously healed my eye and just like when He saved me from death on more than one occasion; surely fibroids were not too hard for Him at all.

At the beginning of 2019, I went to my annual check up and found out the fibroids had multiplied and grown significantly with the pain to match. This was partially due to an insurmountable amount of stress from work throughout 2018. I admit, I was literally distraught. They were mentioning needing surgery and that was a bad word to me at the time. As I sulked throughout the day after the unfortunate news, that same day I received an unexpected call, from someone I didn’t talk to that often. As we talked, I remained in the midst of my silent pity party, until they randomly started talking about how they had fibroids and mentioned the amazing doctor they went to for surgery. Mind you, I never said anything about what I was going through that day. In that very moment, I knew that was a divine conversation!

The next day I went to 21 days of prayer at church and told one of the ministers what I was going through and the news I’d received. I shared the discussion I had with the friend and their surgeon and they said “oh that Doctor…I just went to them yesterday”. Suddenly, I was reminded by the Holy Spirit how I sat in a seminar with this very doctor for course credit two years prior. Talk about the divine set ups! I said to the Lord, You know I don’t want this surgery but I feel like you are leading me in this direction. God told me “I won’t always do it the same way”. I had to let that marinate because I still wanted God to do it the way He’d always done it. I said aloud, “Miracle me please God”!

I met with the doctor the Lord was leading me to and I felt peace as I stepped into the waiting room. He assured me that a hysterectomy would not be my story yet sadly it has been for so many women. This doctor was known for what he does and told me he had taken out as little as one fibroid to as many as over 20; as small as a golf ball to as big as a watermelon. I was at peace with him being able to do the surgery but I still didn’t want to get cut. At my pre-op appointment I found out since the fibroids had grown too big for them to conduct the surgery laparoscopically through my navel, they would in fact have to cut me much like a cesarean. I was still expecting God to “Miracle me” even though He kept telling me He won’t always do it the same way.

Surgery Day, June 3rd, 2019

Fast forward to June 3, 2019, it was surgery day and I was a tad nervous but still expecting God to make it well and throw a miracle in there. My best friend and my boyfriend at the time (now my husband ) made sure my surgery prep area was filled with laughter and peace. The surgical team took me back and I wish I could tell you they found nothing, like I was expecting, but it was still a successful surgery removing all of the fibroid tumors and fixing other things the doctor saw in the process.

Formerly Known as the Fibroids occupying my uterus

The pain post surgery was on another level especially when I coughed and sneezed with the large incision. I even had to go physical therapy because of the impact the fibroids had on my spine and hip, but the way my loved ones and friends rallied around me and took care of me showed me my God given community in that season. My now husband, stayed on the couch to be on standby for my every need, meal prepped for me for the week, carried me to the restroom and cleaned & redressed the incision area like it was a science project. My best friend had my medicine and sitter schedule all set and my friends and family became my adult sitters during the day. God knowing that I used to be a person who always tried to do it all herself to avoid disappointment, showed me just what I needed in that moment. In a moment of physical healing, He healed something even deeper in me to show me I don’t have to do it all, I can be vulnerable and I can be the one to be taken care of instead of the other way around.

When I was finally able to be out and about again, a member of my church family asked where I’d been and I told her the backstory. She said wow she had no idea I was going through all of that. Then she looked me in the eyes and said “Thank you for wearing your Faith”. She told me the story resonated with her because she was believing God to do a miracle in an area of her life but felt Him leading her the surgery route. As the conversation ended I said to God, if all of that was just to witness to that one person, then I’m grateful to be a vessel for Your Glory.

Now years later, from then to now, I’ve had the opportunity to minister to so many women dealing with fibroids. Some told me they needed a hysterectomy but I’m grateful to have gone through what I went through to be able to connect them to the right resources and their miracle of not having to go the unfortunate route of a hysterectomy.

A few years ago, during 21 Days of Prayer, someone shared their family medical healing testimony and ended with “Sometimes when God doesn’t give you the miracle, He will make you the miracle for someone else.” Everything truly clicked for me in that moment. Even when it doesn’t happen the way you expect. Expect God to turn your situation around for your good and use your story to help others along the way.

I’d like to tell you that was the end of my journey with fibroids but unfortunately it wasn’t. At the beginning of this year, I found out that there was another fibroid in my uterus that needed to be removed immediately. Surprisingly enough because I’d already walked through this in 2019, I wasn’t moved like I was then. The surgery I had this time was performed by my primary OB and it wasn’t as invasive as the first surgery. I thought to myself, “how can this experience glorify Lord”. There was no miracle, and I don’t feel like the miracle this time around; how do I share what you healed before coming back a second time?! The Lord showed me this time it wasn’t about me being the miracle but it was about someone being the miracle for me. I’d had such an extremely hard season from the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, and God used my post op appointment with my OB to show me He hadn’t forgotten me. My OB ministered life into me after so much disappointment in a way that only God could get the Glory. I honestly didn’t realize it until this very moment, as I type, that I was so used to giving people what they needed from the Lord in those hard times that this time it was my turn to receive what I needed. Thank you for “Miracling Me” God!

Seven years to this day and GOD’s faithfulness is still unmatched! I’ve had the honor of helping and ministering to so many woman dealing with fibroids since this journey. It was always bigger than me and this year it was bigger than the vessels God used to be my miracle. All for God’s Glory.

Selah

Until the next Faith Testimony…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith journey Here!

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Winds of Change: Seasons of Shift

Hi Faith Travelers,

We’ve reached the end of June; the midpoint month of the year and many of you may have noticed the peculiarity of this particular season. It hasn’t been a business as usual time for many of us. In fact, its been a season where many believers have been wondering, “What is going on ?!”; not just regarding whats going on in the world but also in our lives, on our jobs, in our churches and amongst our families. Some would say it feels like chaos but in all actuality, its a shaking. A shaking in the natural realm and in the supernatural realm.

What is a shaking, you ask? (See Hebrews 12:26-27) It is divine intervention, spiritual awakening and refining process that is set in motion to remove what does not look like God. Its goal is to remove the fallacies, falsehoods and impurities in the Body of Christ so that what remains has been purified and established by Him. Why is the shaking happening? Because God is getting ready to shift some things in ways we haven’t seen or experienced before.

The word Shift is derived from the Hebrew word “Shanah” meaning to transition, alter or change. It biblically implies to the unfolding of a new chapter or an alteration in time. This is used when God alters seasons or circumstances. In other words, this season of shift is God’s appointed time to alter, change and transition You and the circumstances surrounding you for what He is calling you to, for His Purpose and His Glory.

The foundational scripture for this, is Ecclesiates 3:1 NKJV which states, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven “. The Amplified version states, “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven.” Verses 2-8, break down what those seasons can look like and what they entail.

Everything Has Its Time
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

Ecclesiates 3:1-8 NKJV

Word of the Lord: “We have entered into not just a new season but a new era in time and in the earth where things are shifting rapidly and intentionally according to God’s plan. In the coming days, months and years you will see more unprecedented shifts and changes in the earth whether it be in the weather, leadership, technology, exposure or in our economic ecosystem across the nations. As things begin to unfold we ourselves will be required to shift in order to be positioned where the Lord would have us be, at the appointed time, to carry out His will on earth as it is in heaven.”

In Daniel 2:21 AMP it states, “It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!” In other words, God is in control of our time and seasons and it is up to us (because we have free will) to follow Him in receiving direction and wisdom on our positioning for His will in that time, season and shift.

So, how do we recognize the shift? Here are a few indicators of Seasons of Shift:

  1. There are tangible changes without warning
    • Sudden changes in circumstances, surroundings, jobs, relationships, comfort, etc.
  2. The season brings restlessness and lack of comfort
    • Often includes having to do things you are uncomfortable with but it’s unavoidable, so must persevere through it
  3. Relational Shifts
    • Who you were around in previous seasons changes and sometimes you are in a season with just you and the Lord
  4. A release is required
    • You find yourself having to let go of some things (and people) so that you can pack light in the shift; sometimes not taking anything or anyone with you
  5. Your desires & priorities shift
    • Priorities shift to focusing on the God things and not just your typical routine and desires
  6. Old resources and provision no longer work for you
    • New strategy is required because what once worked won’t work in the shift
  7. There is sudden opposition that arises
    • You begin to recognize sudden conflict and closed doors in current spaces

What do we need to stand firm (1Corinthians 16:13) in the Seasons of Shift:

  1. Faith
    • To operate in a deeper sacrificial trust in the Lord when nothing makes natural sense ( See Hebrews 11:1)
  2. Humility
    • To recognize that everything you are is because of God and apart from Him you can do nothing (See John 15: 5)
  3. Trust for God’s Provision
  4. Perseverance
    • To understand that some promises require us to persevere in order to produce the character to walk in them (See Romans 5:3-4 & The Stories of David and Joseph)
  5. Identity in Christ
  6. Radical Obedience
  7. Prayer, Intercession & Fasting
  8. Intimacy with God
    • To learn to seek first the kingdom of God (See Matthew 6:33)

No matter the season you are in, remember that God is with you, and He is forever faithful. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time….” As we walk through this Season of Shift, remember that seasons change but God doesn’t…. He’s always at work ensuring everything is working together for our good according to His purpose and plan.

Until the next Faith Teaching…

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