Skip to main content

Dusty Crowns: Not Forgetting who You Are and Whose You Are



 
The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7).

I remember a time in my life when I was not so happy. I remember even asking my mother to put me in some type of facility because I thought that I would find peace there. What was I thinking and why would a thought like that cross my mind? I had no idea who I was or whom I would become in Christ. I just knew that I wanted peace.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 ESV).

No one had ever talked to me about changing my mindset, all I understood was that I needed counseling and depression medication. I didn’t understand the power of prayer or the extent of deliverance that I would need to overcome the things that I was battling with. The devil is so precise with his plans against us. He watches us. He watches our families/ lineage and he sets up weapons against us with the intention of taking us out before we take the opportunity to know who we are in Jesus.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I got saved for the first time when I was 16 years old. I went to church with a friend and that same day I gave my life to the Lord. I felt a physical push and a pull to go up to the alter and so I did. I had no idea about the gifts that would begin to awaken in my life and I also had no idea about the level of war fare that I was against because of my gift.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).

God is so very real to me because I have seen him work in my life on multiple occasions. God has done more than give me a passing grade in school, he has healed my heart and delivered me on so many levels. God has healed me from multiple heart aches and allowed me to live through car accidents. God has healed my mind and given me joy. I have a new dance because of grace.

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp (Psalm 149:3 KJV).

At 29, God is still moving in unimaginable ways on my behalf. I trust him. I know what he has promised me and I believe him. There are many firsts that are occurring in my life and one of them is learning to praise. God deserves every thank you in the world from me because I know where he brought me from. I was in a place of loneliness and I felt worthless, but God saw beauty in me and decided to create something new in my heart. God gave me friends and even restored furniture in my life. I have been battling with this testimony, but someone needs to know that God does not forget. As a child I slept on the floor for a period of time because a parent took the bed that I was sleeping in with them. I used to have an “imaginary” bed that I would cover with sheets and pillows, but God has restored that memory and allowed me to buy something new and unused.  I thank God for the new things that He is doing in my life.

I will be unashamed of where God has brought me from. All of it is not pretty but through Jesus Christ even those ugly things are beautiful. I pray that you know that seasons change. Don’t take off your crown of glory because things get hard. Dust your self off and believe that God is a redeemer of all things. God hears our hearts desires. He has not forgotten about you. I pray that your faith is restored and renewed in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD (Psalm 150:6 KJV).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Turn Aside and See

  “And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush.” (Exodus 3:3-4a)   Moses was born into both chaos and love. The chaos was Pharaoh demanding that growth be hindered by killing all the male babies, and the love was from God and his parents.   Moses was consecrated in a hiding place and then in a dangerous river. He was found by faith and given the perspective of the slave and of royalty.   Moses’ heart was never to be above, but to be at eye level with those he loved. Moses was already accepted by God, chosen, and loved. He was consecrated before he could understand purpose.   Moses, in his passion, did something that no one accepted. He killed a man when he tried to protect another one. He went on the run, broken, but not alone.   Moses didn’t cry. He adjusted. Pain was there, but so was provision and more lessons.   ...

The Process of Faithing It: Trusting Jesus with Your Faith

  “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:34 NKJV). Can you imagine Jesus in a crowd? Everyone has a need, but His target in that moment is to go and build the faith of a little girl’s family at the request of her father because they think that she will die. The father is scared, but Jesus was on the way until He felt something. This feeling was different, but powerful. Jesus turns around looking, asking questions, but finds his answer in the form of a woman, standing and looking amazed at what just happened to her. After 13 years of anemia, tiredness, dizzy spells, soiled clothing, and impacted relationships, she is healed.  This woman with an issue of blood had spent all of her money, but decided to trust Jesus with her faith, which was all that she had left. Jesus was not too busy to stop and ask, “Who touched me?”. The disciples reminded Jesus of all the people that were around them, but this touch was different. Some...

Why I Won't Date: Second Wind and Fresh Fire pt2

Some people think that waiting on God for your husband or wife is " to saved". They say that you don't know a person until you live with them or that you have to test them out sexually before you commit, but those things are not true when you really decide to wait on God. God knows your heart and knows what will keep your attention. The most important thing to keep in mind is that marriage is ministry. God is not going to send you someone that does not know how to listen to Him or take care of his or her home/ family. I see so many wome n who complain about being a good woman but their man is dogging them out. He prefers the drama over a home that is a sanc t uary . Don't be offended by that particular man's vice because now you have a way of e scape if you choose to take it.      "The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22 ) .     My heart was broken all over again when someone from my pa...

Keep Your Lamp Filled

  “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:1–5). Everyone had the same mindset to go to the same place for the same reason. Everyone was on their way, but partial action was taken by five of the virgins. The bridegroom had the capacity to care for all ten. Everyone had a lamp, but everyone did not have oil to see Who they were waiting for. The oil was available, but five virgins did not take the initiative to get more oil. What they had was not enough for the journey they were on. Five of the virgins were wise; they did what was needed to obtain more oil. The other five virgins were foolish, thinking that what they had was enough and that getting...

Fear Can Not Exist Where Healing is Needed: The Authority of Jesus within Mental Health

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”  ( John 10:10 KJV). The people of Gadarenes gave the enemy access to their region, not just a man at a tomb. As a bystander within Mark 5, I’ve seen many parts of this scenario played out in real time. I know the broken heart that Jesus had at seeing this man, and I also know the love and compassion that He had for him as well. The people may have feared the man because of his strength, but Jesus understood and displayed that  fear could not exist where healing is needed . Working within the mental health field, I’ve seen what was depicted by the man at the tomb. It’s not easy, but Jesus removed the cover of what was happening. The Legion of demons  (composed of thousands of demons) thought that they could continue to reign and rule, but the King stepped onto the ground and caused atmospheric shift to happen.  “T...

Peace Be Still

“ One day he got into a boat with his disciples,  and he said  to them,  “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.”  So they set out,   and  as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake,  and they were filling  with water and were in danger.   And they went and woke him, saying,  “Master, Master,  we are perishing!”  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.   He said to them,  “Where  is your faith?”  And they were afraid,  and they marv...

Can You Praise the Lord in Prison?

“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening” (Acts 16:25 NLT). Paul and Silas were some bad boys! Can you imagine doing the right thing and being locked up because of it? These men had a freedom that the people they encountered needed to see because they were not bound although others could visibly see the chains that had been placed on them. They did not misrepresent Christ because of their circumstances and they did not try to give up serving Him because of the predicament that they had found themselves in. ~~~~~ Stop being mad at God because things do not go the way that you expect them to. ~~~~~ “ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Paul and Silas knew who their God was and they knew that He was going to come through for them no matter what their situation looked like. They knew enough about God...

Kairos:God’s Opportune Time Table

There are moments and seasons that are not defined by man or their opinions. In those moments “their” opinions don’t matter, your background does not matter, and your last name does not matter. Those moments are the ones that define your destiny and triumph over your past. Those seasons are the ones that you are born to walk in and nothing can steal them away from you. That moment and that season is specified as being your kairos moment. Your life, your destiny, your ministry, and your purpose are all in your kairos moment. Everything that you are and ever will be, boils down to that moment. Your kairos moment cannot be defined, manipulated, or determined by man because it is a moment that is determined by God alone.   King David was the underdog. He was the youngest and most different when compared to his brothers. Even the prophet Samuel could not identify God’s chosen vessel in the flesh because God had to reveal to him who the next king would be. Being alone and being the u...

Growing Weary in Well Doing: Acknowledging and Recovering From Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

  Realistically, you can grow tired of doing well. You can get sick of showing up when no one else appears to be willing to do so and you can feel stopped up from all of the complaints that you hold in. Your own silence can become to loud and you can feel lonely because of a lack of available avenues to authentically express your emotions about everything that appears to be going well for you in the eye sight of others.     It’s easy to feel alone in a wilderness that is filled with flowers because you have not carved out the space that you need to enjoy them. I understand this place. I am in it with you, and I want to encourage you as I encourage myself.   “So 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”.  (Galatians 6:9 NLT).   It is important for me to acknowledge the feeling of desiring to isolate myself because of weariness, compassion fatigue, and burnout as a Christian becau...

He Broke Me, He Wreaked Me, and He Crushed Me!

As I was reading a devotional today I saw the word crushed. I love this word! I also love the words broken and wrecked. To most people these words are destructive and may even evoke an emotion of pain, but to me, these words are beautiful. There is beauty in the crushing. There is beauty in brokenness. There is beauty in being wreaked. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what and who have you allowed to dictate what you consider to be beautiful? To be very honest, just because I stated that I love the before mentioned words, that does not mean that I love the process that comes with them. Life hurts. We have ups and we have downs, but what have you allowed your perspective to be in the midst of every painful experience that you have endured? I have had so many things attempt to take me out, but the beauty that I have found is that God always seems to hold me together. I have had my heart completely wreaked by people and by life over and over again, but the trials h...