His mercies never cease.Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lamentations 3:22-25
Initially, I wanted to entitle this post: Sometimes We Have to Cry but after my lunch walk, a timely work day devotional and scripture reflections-“I changed my mind.” as my friend Marion would say!
Today, I was feeling that pangs of hurt and disappointment which wore so heavy on my spirit that I needed to talk to friend in route to work. At the conclusion of our conversation she shared that her morning reading said something to the effect of:
“Trust an unknown future to a known God.”
I don’t know who said it, but it was right on time! Before arriving to work I was singing off key but feeling so much better! Later that morning I would receive an e-inspirational reading from beliefnet. It was aptly entitled 12 Ways to Mend a Broken Heart.
Can’t you see it? Yes, truly God was up to something this morning!
Deliverance!
My spirit must have echoed –“Speak to my heart Holy Spirit!”
During my lunchtime walk my intentions were to further lift my spirit and redirect my energy towards more positive thoughts and behavior.
Would you agree that there are many instances in our lives when we feel deep sorrows and disappointments and are too consumed by emotional, spiritual and unfortunate physical afflictions. As we use to say as kids-“too jacked up” to refocus and regroup ourselves to know that God has equipped us to survive and move on if need be? Yes, to survive the wrong done, and ultimately experience the compassion that can be found in a loving Heavenly Father that can and will restore our spirits.
It’s apparent that this was no accident, my husband sharing this you tube video with me regarding a phone call from a grieving 12-yr old boy to Houston radio station KSBJ FM 89.3. The message was so moving that KSBJ posted it on their website. Be inspired by this wonderfully moving and unrehearsed conversation shared in grief. I promise you that you’ll be blessed.
Be further encouraged by this heartrending and beautifully written devotional by my friend, Pastor Renita Shadwick in Baby Love Notes entitled: There Will Be Crying found in the Blessedness of Believing blog (written July 25, 2008):
And finally, be empowered by Hope of Relief in God's Mercy found scripture
Yes my friends, God does listen to our heartfelt concerns.
Blessings to You! We Are in GOD'S Hands! Author, Linda Mose Meadows The Blessedness of Believing A Devotional Journey of Life's Lessons and God's Promises (Tate Publishing, Nov 2007) http://blessednessofbelieving.blogspot.com/
that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (New International Version - UK)
Friends, I am sure that you’ve all heard of the great soulful songstress Mary J. Blige? If not reference You Tube and become familiar with a legend. She’s a woman with heart, soul and true grit. In her song Work That, she reminds not only women, but all of God’s children to “work” what God has gifted us with, and recognize that we are royalty. Scripture assures us also that we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation! How about that! Simply stated: Work what you got! My translation is to embrace your calling- embrace what God has purposed for you to accomplish-one action step at a time!
Why this song you wonder? This song sprang in my spirit as I sat in the Frank Merriweather Public Library at home in Buffalo, N Y –it’s an architectural marvel in the heart of the Buffalo community. As I sat at the computer terminal I began wondering which song would convey my message of work your plan? The scripture :
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." Jerimiah 29:11-14
Mary J. Blige like the Erank Merriweather Public library founder’s, developer’s and librarians, they believe in embracing and building up others through resources and services. In an effort to begin anew and start 2009 in the spirit of restoration and personal growth, I trust this information will empower and encourage your hearts.
I really appreciate how the Holy Ghost directed me not only to Youtube’s videos, lyrics of Mary J. Blige but, more importantly her foundation for everyday women entitled:
I salute this soulful woman of God and will endeavor to :
Work my divine centered resolve and spend more concrete time studying and praying so that I move in the direction that God has for me-action ministry and service.
I will take my own medicine and step out further on faith- one step at a time and “work my thing out”, eating better, living healthier, speaking & thinking in the affirmative, learning more and embracing new concepts as I move along my way.
I am listening Lord and taking heed –I encourage you to do the same. Happy New Year!
Enjoy the music, take heart regarding the lyrics and be sure to receive the practical instructions for personal Growth for making a new year’s resolution that are posted on Mary j. Blige’s website! Strut your stuff like Mary! Work your plan, dream big and live on, live on y’all! I praise God for you!!
Work That
Mary J. Blige's Lyrics
Work your thing out
Work your thing out
Work your thing out Work your thing out
Theres so many-a girls
I hear you been running From the beautiful queen That you could be becoming
You can look at my palm
And see the storm coming
Read the book of my life
And see I've overcome it
Just because the length of your hair ain't long
And they often criticize you for your skin tone
Wanna hold your head high
Cause you're a pretty woman
Get your runway stride home
And keep going
Girl live ya life
I just wanna be myself
Don't sweat girl be yourself
Follow me, Follow me, Follow me
Girl be yourself
That's why I be myself
And I'm gonna love it
Let em get mad
They gonna hate anyway
Don't you get that?
Doesn't matter if you're going on with their plan
They'll never be happy
Cause they're not happy with themselves
Na, na work what you got
I'm talking bout things that I know
Na ,na work what you got
It's okay show yourself some love
Na, na work what you got
Don't worry bout who's saying what
It's gonna be fine
Work what you got
Feelin great because the light's on me
Celebrating the things that everyone told me Would never happen but God has put his hands on me
And aint a man alive could ever take it from me
Working with what I got I gotta keep on Taking care of myself I wanna live long
Do you find it difficult to keep your New Year's resolutions? Do you find yourself coming up with excuses for why you haven't done something you promised yourself you would months ago? Still haven't lost the weight you gained during your last pregnancy? Haven't found room in your schedule to spend more time with your family? Is the basement still a mess after several halfhearted attempts at "spring cleaning"? Here's a decision-making process that might be able to help. Instead of making empty promises and setting unachievable New Year's resolutions this year, try creating S.M.A.R.T. goals.
When you set goals, you need to carefully consider what you want to achieve and be honest with yourself about how much work you're willing to put in to make them happen.
Having goals helps you feel in control and can give you a sense of purpose. You should keep setting new goals for yourself and not feel limited to just one or two. You should also reassess your goals from time to time and measure your progress.
The S.M.A.R.T. process is an effective way to set and meet your goals.Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general one. Try to choose goals that deal with behaviors, not feelings. For example, you're your goal to walk 20 minutes each morning instead of just deciding to get into shape.
To help yourself set a specific goal, ask yourself the five "W" questions:
Who: Who is involved?
What: What do I want to accomplish?
When: When will I work on my goal and what is a realistic time frame for reaching my goal?
Where: Where will I accomplish the goal?
Why: What are the reasons, purpose, or benefits of accomplishing the goal?
Measurable: Choose goals that have results you can measure - when you can measure your progress, you have a better chance at staying on track, reaching your target dates, and having results you can take pride in.
When you start planning, decide on the steps you need to take to reach the ultimate goal and set deadlines for each step. Try noting your daily progress each day in a diary or a chart, including how you feel about your accomplishments.Achievable: Be honest with yourself about what you can achieve.
Goal setting is a great way to push yourself beyond your current limits, so you should pick a goal that requires effort and hard work, but be sure to choose a goal that is within reach. For example, you may not be able to run a marathon this year, but over time you can gradually increase the distance you can walk.
Rewarding: While it is exhilarating to reach a goal, you should be sure to find extra ways to reward yourself along the way. Plan rewards ahead of time so you have something to look forward to. For example, treat yourself to a new pair of walking shoes when you can walk a mile without stopping.
Timely: A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no deadline, there's no sense of urgency. Keeping track of your progress will help you stay motivated. Remember, reaching your goals can require a good deal of time and effort, and you need to find ways to keep yourself motivated. When you accomplish your goals, you will feel great about yourself, but be prepared to work hard to get there!Sometimes just sharing your goals with others can help you stay motivated. Please share your progress with us below in the comments section - we'd love to hear your New Year's resolutions and how you plan to make them happen!
