Category: Jesus

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Love Never Fails

Hi Faith Travelers!

Happy Faith Friday!

Have you ever thought about Love? I mean of course you’ve thought about love because it’s all around us and we experience it in one way or another, whether from a significant other, parent, child, relative or friend. But have you ever thought about the origin of Love, the depth of Love and the power of Love. Some of us don’t think that deep about it so let’s take some time to understand L-O-V-E.

Some of you may say what does love have to do with a faith blog; well I’m going to tell you. To understand faith is to understand God and to understand God is to understand and experience Love. Not just any love, but Agape Love which is the highest form of love, representing God’s selfless, sacrificial, unconditional and divine love for humanity.

We often associate Love with feelings, emotions, affection and commitment. While Love is, in fact, associated with those things, that is not the core of what Love is. In order for us to understand Love we have to first understand the creator and first demonstrator of Love, God Himself (1 John 4:8). God is Love.

Think about how it all started and the mere reason why we all are able to wake up every morning and pursue this thing called life. It’s right there in the staple scripture, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. That is Agape Love; an unconditional and sacrificial choice, not associated with emotion or merit. That is the loving God we serve. “We love Him because He first loved us”(1 John 4:19). He gave His Only Son, Jesus, for us. The same “us” who don’t always choose Him and are often mad at Him especially when things aren’t going our way in life because those are the moments we cry out ” Why God?!”, as if He is the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy and not satan (John 10:10). Even then He still loves us.

At the core of who God is, He is Love and what better way can His love for us be shown than through Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Because of this we are here today and able to spread our own love to family, friends and the world. Though we don’t necessarily have the capacity to love the way God loves us, we show our love for Him through our faith in Him. We show our love by simply believing in Him and surrendering our lives to Him so that He can accomplish His purpose and plan through us; which is ultimately sharing Him with those don’t know about Him, the Gospel or His Agape Love yet.

The depth of God’s Love is deeper than anything we could ever imagine. It’s so deep that nothing can separate us from it. The scripture Romans 8:38-39 states,”…neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Whenever you have moments where you think God has left you or that you messed up with Him, this is the scripture you need to remember and meditate on.

I once heard the phrase “the power of love”, but I didn’t truly understand the truth behind this phrase until I started studying it in the Word of God. The Bible talks about how “perfect love casts out fear”(1 John 4:17-18). Love actually has the power to dismantle the very thing(fear) that satan attempts to use against us to attempt to counteract our faith. The Bible all says in 1 Peter 4:8 , “…love will cover a multitude of sins”and in Proverbs 10:12, “…But love covers all sins.” This means that just when you thought you messed up for good after sinning, God’s Love has already stepped in and covered it through Jesus Christ.

So how can we love better? The answer can be found in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [a]puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” I am going to share the Expanded Interpretive Translation of this same scripture with you and everywhere you see the word “Love” replace it with your name.

“Love(Your Name) patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed; Love(Your Name) doesn’t demand others to be like themself; rather, it is so focused on the needs of others that they bends over backwards to become what others need them to be; Love(Your Name) is not ambitious, self-centered, or so consumed with themself that they never think of the needs or desires that others possess; Love(Your Name) doesn’t go around talking about themself all the time, constantly exaggerating and embellishing the facts to make them look more important in the sight of others; Love(Your Name) does not behave in a prideful, arrogant, haughty, superior, snooty, snobbish, or clannish manner; Love(Your Name) is not rude and discourteous — they are not careless or thoughtless, nor do they carry on in a fashion that would be considered insensitive to others; Love(Your Name) does not manipulate situations or scheme and devise methods that will twist situations to their own advantage; Love(Your Name) does not deliberately engage in actions or speak words that are so sharp, they cause an ugly or violent response; Love(Your Name) does not deliberately keep records of wrongs or past mistakes; Love(Your Name) does not feel overjoyed when they see an injustice done to someone else but is elated, thrilled, ecstatic, and overjoyed with the truth; Love(Your Name) protects, shields, guards, covers, conceals, and safeguards people from exposure; Love(Your Name) strains forward with all its might to believe the very best in every situation; Love(Your Name) always expects and anticipates the best in others and the best for others; Love(Your Name) never quits, never surrenders, and never gives up; Love(Your Name) never disappoints, never fails, and never lets anyone down.”

After reading that with our names in the place of the word Love, I am certain we all have some work to do when it comes to displaying love. It’s a great thing that we aren’t required to be ready made perfect before God but it’s an even greater thing that we have The Example of Love to not just model ourselves after but to trust that God’s Love will never fail when it comes to us.

I will leave you with 1 Corinthians 13:13 “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love”. God is Love, Love never fails so we can trust that God will never fail nor will He fail us.

Until the next Faith Message…

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God is STILL…

Hi Faith Travelers!

Happy New Year & Happy Faith Friday!

It’s the last Friday of the first month of a new year and honestly speaking, midway through January, I felt like I was in the same very hard 2025 season, even with “the new year” having already started. It felt as if I was stuck in a new year but with old perspective, old disappointments and old trials and tribulations still weighing me down.

Have you ever been in a difficult space, season or circumstance that you felt like God wasn’t present in? You endured trial after trial, heartache after heartache, and disappointment after disappointment and yet you wondered, “Where are you God?!”…

God is Still With You

In the midst of those seasons, it can sometimes be difficult to pull your own self out of that pit. You find it hard to recall God’s promises in His Word. Promises like “…He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you (See Deuteronomy 31:8) or the promise that “…the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (See Joshua 1:9). Even one of Jesus’ names, Immanuel, means “God with us”(See Matthew 1:23). It’s right there in black and white, yet you still “feel like” God is not there.

God is Still Bigger Than Your Feelings

Notice the number of times I used the word “feel” or “felt” in the beginning of this blog, even from my own perspective. Feelings may be a current fact in that moment of toughness but it’s not the truth…Your Faith Is. Feelings can be defined as “an emotional state or reaction or an irrational belief”. Feelings are temporary and fickle emotions driven by the circumstance, yet Faith is enduring and active trust in God even when the circumstances seem contrary.

God is Still Working

There’s a message that I heard recently when I was still stuck in my “feelings” and the pastor said, “I can Trust God even when I can’t trace Him”. Think about that for a minute. I can put my reliance, my confidence and my dependence on God, His character and His promises even when there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of Him in my circumstance, based on my mere carnal understanding.

God is Still Faithful

Let’s take a look at the Book of Daniel in the Bible (See Daniel 3). In chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar had made a decree that whenever symphonic music played, everyone had to bow and worship the golden image of him and if they did not, they would be thrown in the fiery furnace. Well Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were Jews in service to the king, who only believed in and worshipped the true and living God, so they refused to bow and worship any other gods. The King was angered and set to throw them in the fiery furnace. He asked them “who is the God who will deliver you from my hands”. They said to the King,” If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”(See Daniel 3:17-18) Notice the “But if not“; they had full awareness of the situation they were in with no line of sight of how things would end, yet they still put full confidence and trust in the God they served even though they couldn’t trace HIM in that very moment of being sent to their death.

The story continues with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego being bound and thrown in the fiery furnace. When the King looked in the furnace he saw four men loose, walking around in the midst of the fire, not hurt and with the form of a fourth man looking like the Son of God.(See Daniel 3:23-25)

God is Still A Promise Keeper

In moments like those we sometimes expect God to save us before the trouble starts. We often come up with ways of how we think God will or should bring us out of a fire when sometimes His Way (See Isaiah 55:8-9) of doing things is bringing us through the fire not smelling like the smoke we’ve been in, so that He and He alone can get the glory.

God is Still A Deliverer

The three men walked out of the fiery furnace with no evidence having been in a fire. King Nebuchadnezzar praised the true and living God and made a decree for all the people to worship the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego because “there is no other God who can deliver like this”. (See Daniel 3:26-30)

God is Still God and God is Still Good

I’ll leave you with a permission to shift your perspective moment. The next time you find yourself in your own fiery furnace circumstance or situation. Shut down the Feeling surrounding the circumstance and activate the Faith that is needed for you to remember and trust that God is God and He is Good. He is everlasting, omnipresent, has infinite supply, and can do immeasurably more than we can ask, think or imagine (See Ephesians 3:20). Most importantly He loves you and His plans (See Jeremiah 29:11 NLT) for you are always good.

Until the next Faith Message…

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Don’t Give Up

Hey Faith Travelers!

Happy Faith Friday!

I pray this message finds you all well. As we prepare to close out the last month of 2025, I want to share one important sentiment I truly hope those of you who need it, will grasp…

DON’T GIVE UP!

This year has been quite the year for a lot of us. There has been SHIFTING and there has absolutely been some SIFTING!

Shifting where some of us have had to make some unprecedented and uncomfortable decisions in order to be divinely positioned for our NEXT; not fully understanding the scope of the how, when or the why.

Sifting, biblically defined as a violent shaking/intense testing of our faith by the devil; involuntarily pushing us through unbearable tests and trials, often leading us fighting for our faith, family, finances and even the function of our own bodies.

This season may have been physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually challenging to say the least, but DON’T GIVE UP! A lot of times when things seem like they are falling apart, they are actually falling into place. Don’t be distracted by what seems to be shaking your world. Put your faith and focus back on The ONE who created this world and who has already overcome it (See John 16:33).

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NKJV

Trust that the same GOD who brought you out of the difficult situations the last time, will bring you out again and again and again; not looking or smelling like the fire you’ve been through.

It’s not easy walking through the hard and dark seasons but you have to Shift your perspective to recognize that God is still moving on your behalf even in the midst of the chaos.

This year my husband and I have personally experienced the loss of loved ones; yet in the timespan of 1 week, on a mission in South Africa, we also personally witnessed 61 people choose eternal life by receiving salvation through Jesus Christ.

We experienced affliction after affliction after affliction with bad doctors’ reports and sickness in our bodies; yet even in the midst of our suffering, we can reflect on the fact that we personally witnessed the supernatural healing miracles of God with our own eyes for 52 people on that same mission in South Africa.

We experienced the effects of the US government shutdown affecting my husband’s job with no pay for a month and a half. Yet the same God that knew this was coming before it happened prepared us months in advance with instructions for emergency financial preparation for our household.

There is so much more we personally went through this year but I was reminded by 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV that “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”. The NLT translation reminds us that we are never abandoned by God.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT

Just because it’s happening to you doesn’t mean that God won’t see you through it. How do you expect to see the sunshine and rainbow on the other side of the storm if you don’t go through the storm in the first place. DON’T GIVE UP in the middle! Keep going knowing that God is with you and your breakthrough is just on the other side. We have to remember that the weapon may form but it shall never prosper (See Isaiah 54:17).

I’ll leave you all with this…

In God’s construct of time, there’s always a due season which is an appointed time to reap the harvest on what you have sown. Meaning if you have sown faith, perseverance, love, obedience and anything that is an attribute of God, you can expect a good harvest in that due season/appointed time. If you have sown disobedience, discord, hate or attributes of satan, then expecting a good harvest may be out of reach unless you choose to repent and turn that behavior around. The bible says in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Another translation states, “let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we Don’t Give Up.” I challenge you to keep going in this season, even when it’s hard, when it feels dark and even when it hurts. Know that God is with you always (See Joshua 1:9) and in due season you will see the blessing if you DON’T GIVE UP.

Until the next Faith Movement Message…

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The Best Free Gift

HI Faith Travelers!

It’s the last day of May 2025 and instead of giving you all a story, a testimony or a lesson I want to give all of you, across the now 83 countries that this blog reaches, an opportunity. It’s the best opportunity that anyone can take advantage of, especially if you haven’t in your life as of yet. This opportunity is the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Salvation is the saving or deliverance from sin and its consequences, through God’s grace and forgiveness given to us because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. It’s not something you have to strive or work for. You merely have to receive it by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

8 For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].

Ephesians 2:8-9 AMP

Accepting the free gift of salvation doesn’t only save us from eternal damnation, it gives us eternal life. Meaning when we leave this earth after we pass on, we get the privilege to abide in the presence of God forever vs spending eternity in the midst of fire and brimstone in hell with satan. Sounds like an easy choice to make but I never want to assume that everyone has been presented with that opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Just 2 weeks ago my husband and I lost his mother and while it is a tremendous loss for us, we are grateful that we were able to make it in time to sit with her, pray over her, talk to her about Jesus and lead her in the salvation prayer because again we didn’t want to assume she had been presented with the opportunity. Even in moments when it was difficult for her to breathe she fought through repeating every single word of the salvation prayer. Even when my husband offered for her to communicate by tapping his hand, she wanted to say the prayer out loud. Nearly an hour after saying that prayer, my mother in love went to be with the Lord. While we were saddened, we knew according to Thessalonians 4:13 that we could weep and grieve with the hope and knowing that we will see her again when we get to heaven .

13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life].

1 Thessalonians 4:13 AMP

The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that when you confess with your mouth and believe with your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him(Jesus) from the dead, you will be saved. Now if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity to receive salvation, I would like for you to join me in repeating this prayer that will change your life for the better.

9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

Romans 10:9-10 AMP

If you are ready to surrender your life to Jesus, Repeat This Prayer:

Dear God in Heaven,

I thank you for Jesus. I believe that Jesus Christ is your son. I believe Jesus died on the cross, paying the price for my sins. I believe you raised Him from the dead and He is alive right now. Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart, come into my life, save me, forgive me, and make me brand new. I repent and turn away from sin. I surrender my life and choose to follow you for the rest of my days. According to the Bible, I am right now born again.

If you prayed that prayer, I want to congratulate you on making the best decision of your life!

I encourage you to join a Bible teaching church, if you are able to, and start studying God’s word. If you have further questions, please refer to the below links.

Did you receive Salvation today and want to know more about what’s next? Click Here The Faith Travels Blog Salvation Questionnaire!

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Abide: Staying Connected to GOD in Difficult Seasons

Hi Faith Travelers!

Happy Good Friday & Holy Week!

At this point, I think I can still say Happy New Year, given you haven’t heard from me since December 2024 :-)…

It has taken me quite some time to write this particular post since the beginning of January because, honestly speaking, I have not been exempt from trials in this season. In fact, many I know have also been going through their own set of trials, almost daily, since the start of the new year. But I will say this…God’s word never said we would have a life absent of trials, it did however say that He(God) would be with us through them (See Psalms 23:4).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalms 23:4

Many think when they surrender their life to God and receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, that means life miraculously becomes problem free. (* Hits buzzer*… “Wrong!”) Well, your life does get better because you receive eternal life. However, satan, as the little “g” god of this world, will still attempt to attack (See John 10:10) believers to discourage, scare or slow them down from walking in the fullness of who God called them to be and what He has called them to do to advance the Kingdom of God. This is why it is said that this world we live in is a battlefield not a playground. We have to make a daily decision to stand for and on God’s word that gives us the instructions on how to fight back against the attacks of the enemy(satan).

Speaking of trials, let’s talk about 2025. I am sure this has been a peculiar year, so far, for most but God remains faithful through it all no matter what it looks like around us. As we stepped into this new season and era at the beginning of 2025, there is one word that the Lord God keeps reminding me that we all need to take heed to. That word is…ABIDE.

Abide means to remain, continue, obey or dwell. With that said, in 2025 and beyond, we need to remain in the Lord, keeping our connection to Him while continuing to trust and draw closer to the true and living God in every situation like never before. We need to walk in obedience, following the Lord’s instructions quickly and intentionally. And we need to dwell with the Lord just as His word says in Psalms 91:1.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalms 91:1

Why abide, you ask? Because apart from the Lord, we can do nothing. No matter how much you think you know, no matter the number of degrees you possess, how clever or talented you are or even how powerful you think you are on this earth. Apart from Jesus Christ, you can do nothing (See John 15:5). This is why it is important to stay connected and abide in the Lord. Parably speaking, if He is the vine and we are the branches and we are disconnected from Him, that means we are disconnected from the life source; the source of life filled with love, truth, purpose, faith, trust and abundance.

So how do we Abide?…

I am going to share 3 key ways to abide in the Lord…

  1. Learn God’s Ways & Character through Prayer and time in His Word
    • Know that God loves you ( 1 John 4:12-16) and is waiting to hear from you, no matter the circumstance or baggage you are coming with in the moment
      • He leaves the 99 to go after the 1 (If you are that one, He’s waiting for you with open arms- Matthew 18:10-14)
    • Set intentional Daily Prayer time
      • Prayer is just communication with God as if you are talking to a friend or a loving Father. (Matthew 6:5-15)
      • This can be as long as you want or as short as time allows; as many times a day as you like
        • Quote: “I don’t ever pray any longer than twenty minutes, but I never go twenty minutes without praying. ” -Smiths Wigglesworth
        • Your prayer life is not measured in minutes. Prayer is a lifestyle.
      • Understand and trust that the Lord hears your prayers wherever you are, even if you are in the car on the way to work (1 John 5:14-15)
    • Read & Study God’s Word
      • Pray for understanding and God given revelation before reading and studying the word of God so that your interpretation is true & sound
      • If you are new to studying the word of God, start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
  2. Grow your relationship with the Lord (See Previous Blog on Intimacy [Closeness] with God )
    • Spend time in God’s presence
      • Uninterrupted time with the Father (God)
      • This can include prayer, praise and worship or just quiet time listening to the Lord.
    • Have 2-way communication with the Lord
      • Listen twice as long as you pray
      • Write down what you believe the Lord is saying so you can refer back to it to strengthen your trust in hearing God clearly
    • Learn how God speaks to you
      • Through His Word, through dreams, visions, inward knowing, a feeling(“Something told me…”)
      • God is always speaking we just have to listen (John 14:26)
  3. Surrender to living your life for the Lord

When we abide in the Lord, He abides in us; leading, guiding, protecting, and ordering our steps to and through the purpose and plan He has for our lives. When we submit to abiding in the Lord, it doesn’t matter what is going on in the world or how bad things get because we have the God who created the universe on our side. Rest in knowing that.

Until the next faith lesson…

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God’s Promise to You

Hey Faith Travelers!

Happy Faith Friday!

I know it’s been a while but I hope you all have been remaining Faith filled. God has had me focusing on a few different things in the past several months, but I promise you will still see these blog posts as the Holy Spirit leads me to write.

I have noticed that the enemy’s (Satan) tactics in this season include planting seeds of “Doubt” in an attempt to make you forget the promises that God has already made to you in His Word. Promises regarding your health & healing; Promises regarding your peace; Promises regarding your protection; Promises regarding provision, purpose, clarity and so much more.

Recently, I found myself in the midst of a struggle with doubting that God would come through for me regarding a matter. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you have seen how God has moved in my life and the lives of others in mighty and miraculous ways.  So why was I doubting?! One reason is because I’m human and we have to choose and fight daily to keep our minds stayed on Jesus (Isaiah 26:3), while remembering the benefits (Psalms 103: 2-3) of our salvation through Jesus Christ. If or when doubt tries to creep in, there’s no time for self condemnation (Romans 8:1); so if this happens, just refocus and remind yourself of what God says about you and your situation.

In the midst of my struggle with doubt, God whispered the scripture 2Corinthians 1:20 to me. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” Immediately, my thoughts were flooded with the promises of God from His Word.

” For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV

Let’s break down what this means…

The word “Yes” is a confirmation or an affirmative response.

The word “Amen” means “so be it”, meaning “certainly” or “it is so”.

Therefore when you think of any promise written in God’s word it is already Confirmed, Yes, through Jesus Christ and we therefore say “Amen” to God, as a reference that “it is so” and “certain”, for His glory.

For those of you in the midst of a storm that has you doubting God’s ability to do the impossible, here’s a reminder of His promises that are Yes and Amen.

YES, No weapon formed against you shall prosper, AMEN.

Isaiah 54:17

YES, All things work together for The good of those who love the Lord and are called to His purpose, AMEN.

Romans 8:28

YES, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning, AMEN.

Psalm 30:5

YES, By Jesus stripes we are healed, AMEN.

Isaiah 53:5

YES, God is able to do exceedingly,abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, AMEN.

Ephesians 3:20

YES, you shall not die, but live to declare the works of the Lord, AMEN.

Psalms 118:17

YES, A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it shall NOT come near you, AMEN.

Psalms 91:7

YES, No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, AMEN.

Psalms 91:10

YES, God has given you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy (satan) and nothing shall by any means hurt you, AMEN. 

Luke 10:19

YES, for God knows the thoughts that He thinks towards us, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope, AMEN.

Jeremiah 29:11

YES, for with God nothing will be impossible, AMEN.

Luke 1:37

Meditate on these promises, remind yourself who you are in Christ Jesus and never forget God’s promises are true.

Until the next faith message…

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The Answer You’ve Been Looking For

HI Faith Travelers!         

I am sure today’s title has you wondering, what is she talking about?! The answer to what…and for what?!

Well it’s the answer to All of Your Problems!

So I’ve learned a few things over the last several years of my life; from my own experiences and from the experiences of others. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that everything you need is found in the presence of God. Where the presence of God is, an invitation of intimacy with Him begins. I’ll get into what that means shortly.

“Everything you need

is found

in MY presence.”

–From God to Me

Recently I have come across several friends and individuals, including myself, who have felt physically and mentally tired, drained, confused, emotional, frustrated, angry, anxious, heavy and down right burdened. If this is you, then you will want to keep reading. Why have they felt this way and what causes it? The answer is Life causes it! Some of us are taking things day by day and just trying to make it through the first 24 hours to get to the next 24 hours and then to the next and so on. Some days are great, others are intense, some days are joyful while others are beyond stressful. Why is that? Because Life is going to Life and then rinse and repeat. We have a real enemy(the devil aka satan) in this world who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (See John 10:10) and if you are living your life for Jesus Christ then the enemy seeks to not make it easy for you. The everyday life we live may be inconsistent but the one thing in our lives that isn’t inconsistent is God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever ( See Hebrews 13:8).

So how do we get in the presence of God to fix all of our problems? Well, the answer is we build a relationship with God and we become consistent with Him; in His word, in prayer and in communing with Him daily. Being consistent with God in turn creates intimacy with God. The word intimacy means close familiarity or friendship; closeness. It also means fellowship, communion, affection, understanding, sharing and togetherness.

Intimacy with God means closeness, familiarity, friendship, fellowship, communion and togetherness with God.

How do you become consistent with God to create intimacy with Him? Well let’s look at it like a marriage. When you marry someone and choose to spend the rest of your life with them; before you make that covenant before God and the courts you develop a relationship with that person. You spend time with them, you learn their likes and dislikes, you develop familiarity, friendship and closeness with that person and you learn the ins and outs of who that person is as a whole. That’s no different than what intimacy with God looks like. When we spend time with God in prayer or in His word, we learn His likes, dislikes and the promises He has made to and for us. When we truly seek God, we learn that the time with Him is never a one sided conversation because He certainly talks back, we just have to take the time to listen. This is what a relationship with God looks like.

What happens when we have intimacy with God? How do I begin to see God make a change with the problems I see in my everyday life? In Matthew 6:33, the word of God says “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In the context of this section of the book of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is telling us not to worry about our life. In not worrying about our life, He’s saying don’t worry about what we will eat, drink, wear or anything related to our everyday lives. He reminds us in this chapter to look at the birds and how the Lord makes sure they are fed; look at the flowers and the grass and how the Lord makes sure they grow and are taken care of. If we, being created in God’s image (See Genesis 1:27), are regarded higher than these things then how much more will God make sure we are taken care of. “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (See Matthew 6:32). Earlier in this same chapter, where Jesus is showing us how to pray, He also says “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (See Matthew 6:8). He is all knowing and all powerful so when you have intimacy with the all knowing & powerful God, just imagine how that will change your life for the better.

“…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

Matthew 6:8

The above may address those who don’t have a relationship with God or rather those that don’t exactly know how to have a relationship with Him but I also want to address those of you who have a relationship with God yet are lacking in intimacy with God. There are some of you out there who pray all the time and spend time in God’s word yet you still feel burdened, drained and overwhelmed as if you are carrying a weight that isn’t yours to carry. This was me and a few others I encountered recently. Some of us were so used to seeing God as just Lord and master, instruction giver, the One who shows us what to intercede for, yet we had somehow forgotten that God is our Father first and He wants us to come to Him as His child. Why? Because we spend our days trying to be the go to person for our families, the employee, the parent, the intercessor, the prayer warrior, the missionary, the minister and so many other roles we take on along with attempts to try to be everything to everyone, that we often forget that we are not and were never built for that. That’s why Jesus died for us, so that we wouldn’t have to carry those burdens.

If this is you, you may be lacking in intimacy with God and require some intimate time with the Father. What does that look like? Intentionally setting time for just you and God with no agenda, no prayer points and no distractions…Just you and God’s presence. Where it goes from there is up to you and Him. The only requirement is going to Him like a child in need of their Father, knowing everything will be taken care of, just as children often do. It can be a conversation about your day, how you feel about something or even just basking in the awe of His felt presence. Set this time with God consistently and watch a new facet of your relationship with God begin to unfold.

I made the change this year to set consistent intentional and intimate time with God with no agenda and in just the first two weeks my life changed drastically spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially and even physically. Everything I need was and is found in the Presence of God. So, whether you have been walking with God for 2 days or 20+ years, we all need intimacy with Him. Take the first step and watch how time with Him gives you all the answers you’ve been looking for.

Until the next faith message…

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Father(ed) Less to Freedom: A Story of Father Wounds and Forgiveness

Hi Faith Travelers and Happy New Year!

I know it’s been a few weeks since you have heard from me. I was away getting much needed rest and resting in God to understand what He is requiring of me in this new year. I hope this new year/season is treating you well and many of you are sticking to the declarations and promises that you made at the start of 2024. Not out of superstition, ritual or routine but out of sheer desire to do what’s needed to walk into the fullness of the new thing that God has for you in 2024, even in spite of what may be going on around you.

I want to start today’s testimony by talking about how a New Years’ promise to myself and God, going into 2018, freed me from years of hurt, resentment and unforgiveness due to a father wound.

Some of us are fortunate to grow up in loving two parent households, some of us single parent households and some of us not so loving two parent homes. My family structure growing up was a little different. My parents were high school sweethearts who got married when I was 4 and divorced when I was 6, with good reason from my observation. I think I may have been the only young kid that would say their parents didn’t need to be together. This meant for most of my childhood I spent doing frequent to infrequent visits to my dad’s house. It started out great until it wasn’t.

I started out spending alot of time with my dad as he watched me while my mom was away on airforce reserve duty. We took plenty of trips to the park, the fair, and shared loving moments at home of me and him dancing while I stood on his feet.

Things started to shift from ages 9 to 25 when I started to feel abandoned by the person who was always supposed to love and protect me. My dad remarried and the visits became far and few in between. My dad’s wife, at the time, even told me I needed to spend more time with my dad. Which made no sense to me at the time because I was only 9 and always available for him to make the 10 min drive to pick me up from my mom’s house. Years later my dad divorced and remarried a third time. The distance only got worse. My then 2nd stepmother, had 4 children coming into the marriage so as time went the overwhelming feeling and evidence of being replaced with his new family started to rise while I strived to feel included in the new family structure.

Once I was old enough to drive and could borrow the car from my mom, I would drive over to spend time with my dad and his family. I watched the interactions with him and his stepdaughters and stepson and it was evident that they were getting a father figure that I hadn’t had the pleasure of being acquainted with. It was crushing to sit back and watch my dad be a father to others while I strived to be significant in his life. I started buying him and everyone gifts in hopes that it would help them see me more, like me more or even invite me over more often. I was promised that they would give me a key to the house so I could come over between classes and that when they got another house there would be a room for me but that never happened. Broken promise after broken promise occurred.

There was a moment when I had issues with my car and couldn’t take it outside of city limits and was limited to school, work and home. I told my dad and he offered to talk to his friend to get it fixed. That never happened. I was later told by my dad that my stepmother said I only called when I needed something. I wasn’t upset that she said it. I was more upset that he seemed to believe it. This all happened while my stepsister was receiving her first vehicle, they purchased for her.

In my senior year of high school, things got expensive. There were senior dues, senior pictures, the band ball, senior prom, running for prom queen, senior trip, senior dinner and all the things that required money. Myself and my mom’s financial position wasn’t in the necessary shape to support all that I had going on but we made it work the best way possible. My step mom made my band ball dress and my Junior prom dress the year before so she wasn’t all bad, in case you were thinking that. There was a senior dinner coming up and we were asked to invite our parents and present them with a gift. I’d gotten my mom a gift and my dad a crystal sculpture with an image of a father and daughter inside of it. We received two tickets so I told my dad about it and he told me he would come. The evening of the dinner my mom and I were sitting across from each other and my dad’s seat was next to me. I saw my dad in the entryway of the event hall signing in and said to myself “He came!”. My friend that knew the issues I’d had with my dad smiled at me as I wore the excitement on my face. He seemed to be standing at the check in a little too long so I went to see if there was an issue. He’d brought my step mother, which was fine, but didn’t understand why there wasn’t a ticket for her. I told him I only received 2 tickets for him and my mom but it wasn’t a problem because it was a nominal fee for additional people which I believe was $8 at the time. They said okay and I went back to my seat glad that all seemed resolved, yet it wasn’t. I sat down and after a few minutes I looked in the entryway and saw my dad leaving. I went back up to the check in area and looked outside only to see my dad and stepmom driving away. I wanted to be optimistic and think that they were coming back but they didn’t. I went to the ladies room, where my friend met me, and I cried the tears that hurt so badly to shed. My friends gave me a pep talk and we went back out to enjoy the dinner with her parents and my mom. It’s safe to say I took the gift I got for him back to the store. I didn’t address it then or even for several years with my dad about why he left that night. I was too afraid that it would validate my thoughts and feelings of him abandoning me on my senior night over $8.

A similar event happened several years later when I was graduating from college with my engineering degree and my stepmom called me and said my dad wouldn’t be coming to my graduation because my stepbrother’s boot camp graduation was that same weekend. I didn’t react, I was hurt but told her “okay I understand”. I didn’t keep my hopes up regarding my dad much after high school. To my surprise, my dad actually came through and made it to my graduation and I got to see him briefly afterwards before we were all supposed to head to my joint graduation party at a friend’s house. We were caravanning to the location in multiple cars. My mom was behind me and my dad behind her. I recall some reroutes along the way but we were all tailing each other to get there. Once we got to the location I noticed my dad didn’t pull up to the house. I thought something was wrong and was concerned. I later found out that he decided to drive to see a friend near the area and then back to Savannah from Atlanta because he said he couldn’t keep up with the traffic. I told him he could’ve called and we would have navigated him here but that was after the fact and another moment in time that I had been disappointed and left to feel like an afterthought to him in my mind. This was the introduction of what I had come to know as Father Wounds.

From the age of 15 to 30, looking back, I realized the effects of the father wounds and how they showed up in different aspects of my life. It started with me positioning myself to never need anyone’s help for the fear of being let down. That resulted in me working 5 jobs at one time while in college. I worked at a men’s clothing store, Best Buy, the campus bookstore, in the campus athletic department and I had my own tutoring service on the weekdays as well. The effects didn’t end here. They show up as people pleasing and a lack of boundaries with people in hopes for them to like me. The worse part was that it showed up in my dating relationships and lack of discernment on choosing a partner who God would choose for me. Because of this I ended up in several cheating, toxic and abusive(physical and verbal) relationships. A few of these relationships took years to heal from the mental, emotional and physical traumatic toll it had on me. When I look back on it, I ask myself, why did I allow this? Because I didn’t have a male standard to go off of. I didn’t have someone telling me “No, he’s not the right one for you”. And I didn’t have the father figure, like some of my friends had, teaching me to not entertain just any guy that crosses my path. This was until I met someone that changed everything for me.

That someone I met was God. I know it sounds cliche but hear me out. When I received salvation through accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I looked at God as my Lord and Master. Someone to give me orders and instructions for my good as I navigated life. As I grew in my relationship with God, after the last toxic heartbreak, I began to not only see God as Lord but I started to see Him as My Father, someone relentlessly loving me out of every hurt and pain I’d ever experienced, someone who was always there in the ups and the downs, and someone there to make sure I am always safe and protected. God took me on a journey of restoration changing me from the inside out. He erased every disappointment and replaced them with His faithfulness. He fulfilled His promise in Psalms 68:5(See Below) and showed me the father I needed and always wanted.

“Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.”

Psalms 68:5 NLT

Though I’d had so many disappointments from my dad, God shared with me that my dad couldn’t give me something that he himself didn’t receive from his own father. God showed me how to love and forgive my dad despite the past. I was reminded of the scripture Mark 11:25 which says, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” I realized the unforgiveness was hurting me more than anything. My husband says it best, unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick or die. I needed to make a decision to let go.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.”

Mark 11:25 AMPC

That year, in 2017, I had been working on a letter to send to my dad but I couldn’t quite finish because I don’t think I was ready to share my thoughts the way God needed me to share them, speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15 NKJV). It wasn’t until December 31st, 2017 that I ‘d made up my mind that I would no longer be bound by the hurts, pains, resentment and unforgiveness of my past. I wrote a letter sharing my heart with my dad and letting him know that I would no longer harbor the events of the past because I was choosing forgiveness. In the midst of this, God told me something that pierced my heart in a different way regarding not just my dad but people in general. He said to me, “He’s a man and man can fail you but I’m your Father and I will never fail. That was the moment I decided to no longer put my trust in man but in God alone.

Letter to my Dad mailed December 31st, 2017; choosing forgiveness and God’s healing

On December 31st, 2017, New Years Eve, I not only forgave but I received a new found freedom that didn’t come in response from my dad at the receipt of the letter, it came when I made the decision to let go and let God. My dad never responded to the letter nor spoke of it. In fact I didn’t know he still had it until I asked in 2021. It didn’t bother me one bit because I’d left all of that hurt at the feet of Jesus on the last day of 2017. It also didn’t bother me because a few months into 2018, after I sent the letter, God showed me how He would use my dad in such a way that showed me though I can’t physically see or touch God, He can do more for me than any man can. In 2018, I healed, I found freedom, I grew closer to my dad, I discovered my purpose, I met my husband and so much more. It’s amazing what one decision to forgive did.

Until the next testimony…

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Hope Fulfilled

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12 NKJV

Have you ever been in the midst of a circumstance or situation that you desired to change. Your health, a family relationship restored, your living situation or even your finances. I believe everyone has at some point in their lives, in some way shape or form. That’s what “Hope” is… a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. But what happens when those breakthroughs don’t happen when you expect them to. That’s when disappointment attempts to set in, especially after countless attempts to see change in the situation come to pass. It’s only when the breakthrough reveals itself that Hope is fulfilled. The message bible translation of Proverbs 13:12 says it best; “unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.”

Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.

Proverbs 13:12 MSG

That sudden good break is when after several attempts to see change, you finally receive a good doctor’s report or that prodigal relative returns to restore the family bond. It’s when you finally find the long awaited permanent home you’ve been seeking or your financial situation is no longer a disparity. That’s Hope Fulfilled.

This past weekend my husband and I had the opportunity to serve at an event at our church called iHope, where they provide Christmas gifts to families in need. The families were able to sign up or be nominated to participate. They would then come to the church the day of the event, receive a shopping cart, partner with a family host and have the opportunity to choose several gifts for each of their children to be gift wrapped and sent home with them providing a hopeful experience on Christmas day. All at no cost to the families. The event served over 200 families providing gifts for over 630 children. That’s not all! In the midst of the church being the hands and feet of Jesus through this event, each attendee received prayer, resulting in 14 people giving their life to Christ with 24 people receiving healing. More than 500 volunteers showed up to give hope to those who needed it during this Christmas holiday. That’s Hope Fulfilled.

During the highlight video, one of the individuals nominated for iHope shared their testimony. She mentioned that in 2016, her and her son lived in a homeless community. During that time, she acknowledged, she didn’t grow up in church nor did she go to church but since a bus would come by the community to pick everyone up, they would jump on it and go. At church is where she got saved, receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Fast forward to 2023, she stated that her kids are saved, they are baptized and they all haven’t been homeless since. She actually had the opportunity to volunteer and serve at the very homeless community they used to live in during Serve Day 2023. She stated, “It was just a full circle moment for me”. Now that is Hope Fulfilled!

For everyone out there, remember Jesus Christ is our blessed hope and because of His sacrifice for us (John 3:16), we can always live in expectation of having Hope Fulfilled.

Until the next faith testimony…

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What’s Your Faith Reference Point?

HI Faith Travelers!

Happy Faith Friday!

Have you ever thought to yourself how you would exercise your faith in an unexpected situation of duress. A moment when you have more month than money and you need an instant miracle just to survive. Or even a circumstance where you are dealing with sickness in your body and the doctors don’t know what to do. These can be situations when you are really trying to grasp at the smallest mustard seed of faith (See Matthew 17:20) just to make it through. In these moments, you have to be able to recall your faith reference point. I know that sounds made up but I am going somewhere with this.

A reference point can be defined as an idea, fact, event, etc., that you already know, which helps you understand or make a judgement about another situation. Let’s reference the word of God for example. In Romans 10:17, the Bible states “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That means God’s word helps us to grow and strengthen our faith because it reminds us of His promises. When we are ill, we know that Isaiah 53:5 states,” …by His (Jesus) stripes we are healed”. When we are in lack, God’s word reminds us that “…my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” as noted in Philippians 4:19. When we are in danger, we know that “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…” based on Isaiah 54:17. These are all reference points of God’s promises in His word. Our faith is the assurance of hope that these promises are evident and will be executed in our lives based on what we have read and believe. Well it is one thing to believe yet it’s another to experience God’s promise in your life to be a direct witness of what He promised. This stretches and strengthens our faith because we now have a faith reference point of what God has done in our lives, not just what He promised. Therefore a faith reference point helps us to know, understand and recall our faith in different circumstances based on a previous event where faith was executed. What does that mean?

It means…

You know that God heals because you have a faith reference point of when He healed you from cancer.

You know God’s a provider because you have a faith reference point of when He provided rent money right before that eviction and grocery money before starvation when there was no way in sight to pay for either.

You know God’s a protector because you have a faith reference point from when He brought you out of a terrible car accident unharmed without a scratch.

You know God is faithful because you have a faith reference point from when God blessed you with that beautiful baby you and your spouse had been praying and believing for, for years, even when doctors said it wouldn’t happen based on test results.

Throughout this blog I have shared my faith reference points of God being a healer, miracle worker, peace giver, protector and restorer in my life. Today I want to share another faith story on God being a protector.

On October 1, 2017, my friend Shelly and I were enjoying our last day in Las Vegas after a weekend of sightseeing, shopping, bus tours, and an MJ Cirque du Soleil show. After a full day at the Grand Canyon we headed back to our hotel to grab our bags and prepare to head to the airport. I went into the lobby bathroom to wash off some of that Grand Canyon dust before our overnight flight. While I was at the sink next to a young lady, her boyfriend began to call for her from the hall. She was annoyed but I began to feel uneasy for some reason so I started to pack up my stuff to walk out. Before I realized, my friend Shelly ran into the bathroom yelling “Sheena we have to go! They’re shooting!” I didn’t realize it then but I went into shock as I heard the screams, shooting and people running into our hotel from the concert going on down the street. Little did we know there was a mass shooting going on at the Route 91 Harvest music festival, right down the street from the Tropicana Hotel we were staying in and across from the Mandalay Hotel where we were just the night before for the MJ show. Shelly and I ran into a bathroom stall and we could hear the screaming, running and those coming to hide in the bathroom. Shelly went into drill sergeant mode and stated we couldn’t stay in the stall because it wasn’t safe. We made our way out of the lobby bathroom and up to the mezzanine floor in a large storage closet with several others. As time passed the closet began to clear out until it was just us two in there. We began to pray. I said aloud, “Lord, I don’t know how you are going to do it but I know you are going to get us out of here and back home safely.” I had a faith reference point of when God protected me when I was held at gunpoint, years prior, so I knew God would somehow protect us. I messaged our pastor and another minister on social media so they could be praying and Shelly called her dad who spoke with someone at the front desk who said wherever we were in the hotel wasn’t safe and we needed to get to the Casino area because SWAT was on the way and that’s where they wanted everyone. We had already had this unction to move and as soon as we were about to, someone locked eyes with me from a crack in the doorway and out of fear locked us in from the outside. Once they realized we weren’t a threat from our screaming they let us out and told us to get somewhere safe. We left the closet and headed for the escalator to head down to the casino area and that’s when someone opened fire on the Mezzanine floor. We all screamed and ran while tons of people on that floor scattered. Shelly and I ran down the escalator, jumped over and hid under the bar where others were hiding. Shelly stated we couldn’t stay there in case someone wanted to shoot over the bar. We prayed as we came from the bar cover, making a run for the casino area. Once we’d made it, the SWAT team was coming in as we all had to put our hands up while they headed upstairs where someone had been shot.

Actual Footage of SWAT entering Tropicana Hotel after Vegas mass shooting
Source: Youtube Video by KPCC

After an hour or so passed everyone was directed to the back of the hotel while investigations were ongoing for the crime that had now happened in our hotel as well. We were directed to rooms and hallways until the lockdown was cleared. After 3AM, everyone was allowed to go back to their prospective rooms, hotels or leave the hotel all together. Shelly and I left the hotel and had to wave down multiple taxis until one agreed to take us to the airport.

Waiting in back of Tropicana Hotel during investigations after shooting
Vegas Strip Lockdown after Vegas mass shooting

Shelly and I made it back to Florida safe and sound. Shortly after a friend from the news station contacted me about doing a story on what happened and I used the opportunity to share faith in God and the power of prayer. Shelly and I also had the opportunity to share our testimony of God’s protection with our church.

Me on the Local News after 2017 Vegas mass shooting

When it comes to knowing that God is my protector and my refuge, this testimony is one of my faith reference points to always remind me that God is faithful and He is always with us. Take this opportunity to recall your faith reference points to keep you in remembrance of who God is, what He has done, and what He is more than capable of doing again and again.

Until the next faith testimony…

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