I watch a lot of youtube and have never heard of book slumps! This is when you lose motivation to finish that To Be Read List so you just do everything else but read. What if there were spiritual slumps?

What does it mean to micromanage something?

to control every part, however small, of an enterprise or activity.

To try to oversee all the small parts of something such as an activity in a way that is usually not wanted or that causes problems.

Synonyms of micromanage - control, manipulate, supervise, dominate, finesse.

I read somewhere that Micromanagement stifles growth, creativity, and innovation. This form of control makes people feel like they're suffocating. Micromanaging squeezes the life out of people and turns them into robots or puppets. Puppets have no life in them. They are only able to move when the puppeteer moves them and speaks for them.

We are not puppets. God is not a puppeteer. We are willing vessels of God. He chose us and then we chose him back. There is a choice here.

Not too long ago after Church, I was alone at home and entirely overwhelmed by the presence of God. I thought about how we sometimes settle for just experiencing God at a Church service. How we sometimes do not desire to seek God further. It almost felt as though God was asking "Am I worth it to you, am I worth the search?" How far will we go in God until we decide it's not worth the effort?

This year is winding down and we are about to enter the new year. What better way to wind down 2022 than to reflect on lessons learned from this year. This year has been a decent year for me. There were many different shifts and changes but in its totality 2022 was a good year. It flew by so fast and I made amazing memories with some fantastic people. God has been so faithful in a plethora of ways and if I listed them all we would be here forever. We will just settle with the 8 valuable lessons learned.

 

I have been going to therapy and it has been eye-opening and challenging. In one of my sessions, I said that I was "afraid to see myself as the woman that God is calling me to be." This was brought up in the topic of my future and being able to dream. Since my therapist read the statement back to me "afraid to see" it has stuck with me. I have a hard time dreaming again and or seeing again. I admire people who can dream about their futures authentically and communicate those dreams to others. There is so much resistance when I try to see, that I just don't see or dream.

I had a thought pop into my mind. What happens when the intercessor is hurting? What happens if they are bleeding while serving? Who is covering the one who feels burdened to pray for everyone else? When they need to be covered, who is covering them?

In my devotion time, I was encouraged by some scriptures that I want to dive into! Lately, God has been reconnecting me to his word. Sometimes it gets hard to read and study the word daily. No lie it gets tough to be consistent but once I realized that God is not looking for perfection but dedication and connection I have been focusing on that more.

Heeeyyy!!

First off,

My bad. My fault. Sorry. I neglected this blog hard. I can get into why later but for now I want to wish yall a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! *crickets...side eye* Better late than never right?

This time of year is filled with so much reflection and this desire to set up some goals. I have been in this space since December which is new for me honestly. Usually, I just end the year and go into the new year with zero goals or reflection. I hated facing the fact that I barely did anything all year. I felt like I wasted the year so why reflect then feel like trash. Well, this year God had other plans! I thank God he nudged on my heart early in December and postured my heart in prayer. I entered 2022 differently and I am unable to shake what God is doing in this season. So grateful.

Lately, I have been more aware of how I internalize my emotions. I have always internalized things as a child and it’s still an issue today. In my time of prayer and fasting, I felt the Lord present a question to me. “Why do other people’s behaviors get to you so deeply?” Then I thought, “Why do you internalize so much?” Sometimes it gets to a point where I literally feel sick in my body. I realized I really take how people feel about me to heart.

The word of God illustrates the type of life that Glorifies God. Welcome to Part 2 of breaking down Romans 12:9-21 where we can see practical ways we can live to honor God and bear much fruit. I will say this has me looking at the condition of my heart with these scriptures.

 

Romans 12:9-21 is jam-packed with expectations of how a Christian should live. This is the fruit of an abiding, planted, faith-filled believer in Jesus Christ. Reading these scriptures has me wondering if my life looked anything like the pages of my Bible.

 

These past few months have been an emotional one for some of us. Some would even say draining. It has caused many of us to search outside of ourselves for answers, for hope. Tragedy and trauma have a way of putting us in the position of searching for relief. What is going to release us from this despair and hopelessness? Most of us have reached the end of ourselves and we are looking for something to make up for what is missing. When we reach this place we tend to turn to many things for comfort and clarity. The concept of looking to the universe has been a popular one for centuries.

Have you ever experienced a time where you heard more bad news than good news? Like, it feels as though death is looming over everything and snatching everything you love and hold dear. This time in self-isolation has me feeling like this at times. I try to avoid hearing any more bad news but it finds its way to me. Do you ever wonder where God is in the middle of what seems like pure darkness? Wondering if he cares or if he is even aware of where you are.

Praise the Lord! It's been a while since I have used this greeting since we are not meeting in our physical churches. I miss it. I miss saying Praise the Lord 50 times when I greet someone and when I depart from fellowship. Ha Ha. We say it so much. But do you ever wonder how you can support and serve the church while staying home? There are many organizations and ways we can support first responders and essential workers, but we must not forget about the people that make up the body. This time of staying at home and self-isolation can really have us thinking well, no ministry stuff to do how can I serve my church from home?

Yes, I made up the word Ministryship.

Many emotions are felt at this moment. Feelings of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and a plethora of other emotions. It just feels like we are all in a very scary movie. We're all waiting for the director to say CUT! THAT WAS GOOD! and we move on to some normalcy. Unfortunately, this crazy movie is our reality. God is not saying CUT, in fact, he is saying something else. When we wrap our selves in fear and anxiety we miss his still small voice in the chaos. We miss what he desires of us right now. I suggest that God has been talking, he has been knocking, he has been asking, and he has been seeking for his church to really listen and then go do the thing. Whatever that thing is for you.

Nature has a beautiful way of shifting seasons. we know a season is about to transition just by the change of climate. When it gets cooler we know Autumn is coming. When it gets hot we are aware that summer is right around the corner. Before these seasons completely shift, we usually prepare ahead of time. We buy coats, sweaters, fleece-lined stockings, summer, dresses, etc. It's important to prepare for your next season. If winter begins and you don't have a coat, you are not fully ready for the season.