It is important to surrender all of our relationships and marriages to God so that we open the doors of opportunities for God to transform our views and the views of the other persons in whom we are in relationship with. We must determine and establish our personal values and be willing to share them with the people in our lives.  By doing so it will set boundaries for yourself as well as others.

Next, we must listen to each other with care and compassion and accept each other’s position on the issues in which you disagree and if you are married, work toward a compromise that you both can live with.  Finally, allow the other person to grow and mature on their own (do not force your views or opinions upon them).  If you value marriage, family and friendships then make choices that will bring you closer together rather than further apart.

Remember that love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 4-7).  It is my prayer that we show more acts of love to one another in the world today.  Because it is all about love.

Most of us take for granted the gift of the present moment.  We tend to focus on what we plan to do tomorrow, next week, next year, or even make plans for celebrations years in advance. While it is good to set long term and short term goals, it is equally important to be thankful and grateful for the present moments of life, as well as where you currently are in life.  After all, it could be worse. We rob living in the present by not being fully present.  For example, as I look at both of my arms I can see old scars where I have burned myself while cooking because of being distracted. These scars serve as reminders to let me know what happens when I am not fully present. Another example of not living in the present moment is when we are engaged in a conversation and our mind begin to drift away as we are distracted by scrolling through social media, texts or thoughts of what we need to do next and not actively listening or giving undivided attention to the other person that is speaking.

It is God that gives us the gift of time. Our time here on earth is an valuable asset that is a given to all whether you are rich or poor! When you wake up do you thank God for another day? Do you meditate and pray? Are you living with purpose? When you make plans do you commit them to the Lord?  The gift of time is given to us in moments, we truly do not know what will happen from one moment to the next or what each new day will bring. We tend to think that the next moment is guaranteed; However, it is because of the grace and faithfulness of God, as well as His goodness, mercies, and blessings that we are here today, so my question to you is how will you use your gift?

Did you know that you are wonderfully and fearfully made (Psalms 139:14) and that nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38-8:39).  Did you know that God heals you from all of your brokenness (Psalms 143:3) and that you do not need to be afraid of anything or anyone because the Lord is with you (Psalm 118:6).

So don’t allow the world to define who you are, or what should be important or a priority, and when you go through challenges in this life don’t get stuck in your feelings. Instead meditate and rely on the truth of God’s word and His promises to encourage, guide, and strengthen you as you travel on this journey called “life”.  Trust Him and trust His timing in all things.

Father’s Day is approaching soon.  A day set aside to celebrate dads all over the country. As I reflect on this special day, I have been thinking about the children who have been raised without a daddy in the home, as well as the children who do not have a personal relationship with their earthly father.  Be encouraged, although you may not have had a father in your home, or you may have been raised without a father in your life, please know that you have a Heavenly Father, who is waiting 24/7 with open arms to have a personal relationship with you.  Life is a classroom, apply the knowledge and strengths that you gained from your upbringing; if it was negative, you have learned what not to do, if it was positive then sow the seed in someone’s else life.  Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!  Be an even better father than the one that you had! We salute You!

Celebrating you, Hattie Phillips on this special day.  The day that is set a side to honor Mothers.  We are thankful for your love, support, faith and quiet strength.  You were a godly woman, peacemaker, prayer warrior, and backbone of our family.  You were an awesome mother and loving wife.  You taught us how to love by the life you lived, which included loving and forgiving others even when they did not deserve it.  Mom, you were a woman of honesty and integrity. You loved each of us in your own special way.  Your legacy lives on in the lives of your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren because of the seeds that you planted while you graced this earth.  The gift of precious memories will forever reside our hearts.  Gone but not forgotten, we love you mom and miss you dearly and we are forever grateful to have you as our mother.

When you feel like you are stuck in a rut and the way seems cloudy and gray, hold onto God’s unchanging hand.  You may not feel His presence as you are going through, but it is He that is holding you, because He promised in His word to never leave you nor forsake you and His word will not return void. Ask for strength and guidance for each new day and He will provide!

Memory or sight? I heard a story recently in which a man was taking medication for his lost of vision.  One of the side effects of the medicine was memory loss.  So the doctor asked, “what would you rather lose your sight or your memory? The man answered my memory because I would rather know where I am going, than remember where I have been!”  As we begin a new year its good to reflect on where we have been (the past), but it is more important to focus on where we would like to go in life (our future).  Not so much as making new resolutions, but as a checkpoint to see where we are on this journey called “life” to make sure that we are making the right decisions to get us to our destination.  Hopefully, we are living life with an eternity perspective.

The bible says to trust in Lord with all of your heart, and to lean not to your own understanding, and in all of your ways acknowledge Him, and shall direct your path(Proverbs 3: 5-6).  If only we will adhere to the Word of God, we would enjoy the benefits of Kingdom Living; which are righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17b).  Our lives would be much more successful and prosperous, if only we would allow God to lead us in all that we do and say; Trust Him to lead you and even when you don’t know the way, he will make your crooked path straight.

Sometimes we are so hard on our self, we forgive others, but we hold onto our  own shortcomings and past mistakes forever.  It is important to learn from choices that we have made in life and move on.  I know from experience it is easier said than done, Nonetheless, it is not like we can change the past anyway-so grow from it!

Loving yourself. What does it mean to love yourself? The bible teaches us to love your neighbor, as you love yourself.  What does loving yourself look like?  For me, it is taking care of yourself–mind, body and soul.  I am reminded that when I travel by airplane, before take off ,the flight attendant teach us how to use the oxygen masks.  When demonstrating how to use the  masks ,we are told to put the mask on yourself first, before helping others.

For many, many years, I have put my needs last to the point that I lacked self-worth.  I can recall telling myself you can’t get your hair done, you don’t have enough money (unworthy); yet I go to work everyday and pay bills, as well as do for others financially.  Or I tell myself, you can’t afford to buy that, you don’t have the money (unworthy).  Then there’s you don’t have the time to exercise, you have to many other important things to do (unworthy), as if my health is not important.

But now that I am on the journey to wholeness and wellness, I see things differently.  I am learning how to love myself.  I take time to exercise most days, eat healthier more often, and buy things for myself and not feel guilty about it.  Although, I am wearing my hair naturally now (which is very liberating), I know that I can afford to go to the shop if I want to! I am on the path of learning how to celebrate myself–mind, body and spirit.