Palate Exposure

I’ve been considered a “picky eater” my entire life. When I was a little girl I only REALLY liked steak, mashed potatoes, pizza and corn. (Oddly, the pizza had to be pepperoni, but I would pick off all the pepperoni and cheese before it touched my tongue. I still can’t explain that one.) I spent countless hours in front of the kitchen table crying while my mom made threats about what would happen if I even thought about gagging. It was awful.

Years later, there are many foods that I have never tried. Although I am still considered picky, I am actually more open to new tastes now. One of my goals for 2011 is to expose my palate to new flavors and I’m already on it.

Last night, for the first time ever, I tried (and actually enjoyed) Brussels sprouts. If you had mentioned them to me 4 years ago, I would have turned my nose up and said, “I don’t DO Brussels sprouts” even though I had never tried them. I didn’t even know what Brussels sprouts looked like until a few days ago when a recipe found its way to my inbox and piqued my interest.

Weeks of the same 4 dinners (spaghetti, tacos, fried chicken, and hamburgers) can be quite mundane, so I’m excited about all the new foods I will try this year—and I’m proud to say that I have already added a new veggie to my repertoire.

Fear Not!

Walking around fearing what could happen is a horrible way to live. Fear leads to worry, anxiety, stress, and a host of other dangerous emotions and physical manifestations of those emotions. I was so afraid of my greatest fears that I talked about them all the time, hoping they never happened. I gave them so much power and attention that before I knew it they had become my reality. It’s like I spoke them into existence. In the latter part of 2010 I was forced to come face to face with a few of my greatest fears—I was summoned to court for issues concerning Amari, I was audited by the IRS, I received a red light camera ticket, my big, big sister took sick and almost died…the list goes on.

It was all a huge eye opener for me. Now I truly UNDERSTAND that fear and faith cannot co-exist. I feel like God allowed my greatest fears to happen for a number of reasons—He wanted me to learn the importance of choosing faith over fear and fully trusting in Him. He wanted me to experience first hand why I should refuse to entertain negative thoughts and why I shouldn’t worry about ANYTHING. He wanted to show me that He is bigger than all my circumstances and better equipped than I am to work everything out.

F.E.A.R. is nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real. I have decided that when a fearful thought enters my mind, I will not entertain it. Instead, I will trust in the Lord and remind myself of the following scriptures:

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? (Psalms 118:6)

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me. (Heb 13:6)

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do to me. (Psalms 56:4)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4)

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalms 27:1)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21a)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7)

Whatsoever is not faith is sin. (Romans 14:23b)

But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

This is the Day

Psalms 118: 24 says it plainly, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." My goal for 2011 is simple. I want to bask in the beauty of EACH and EVERY day that the Lord allows me to see.

I want to be glad and rejoice in this day TODAY. I want to live more in the moment...and enjoy right now...and put my total and unconditional faith and trust in God. He is in control. The past is behind me. There's no need to dwell on it. Likewise, there is no need for me to stress about tomorrow because tomorrow is exactly where it needs to be--in the Master's hands. There is no need for me to worry about anything. I am His child. He loves me...and He has already worked it all out in my favor.

Here's to a FABULOUS New Year filled with powerful thoughts, powerful words and actions, continued growth and discovery, and blessings and prosperity beyond measure on this journey called LIFE!



Eight

Eight years ago today I held you in my arms and looked into your beautiful blue eyes for the very first time. You were so dazzling. I could tell by the little dip in your gums that you were going to have a gap. How cute! You had a head full of hair and your smile was like an angel’s. You were so innocent and so perfect. I couldn’t believe that you had come from me. I felt so blessed.

Eight years ago today my life was forever changed. Something amazing happened inside of me. I knew that I could no longer compromise and do the things that my flesh-led self had once done. I knew you’d be watching me and I wanted to be the best example I could be. It was difficult at times, but slowly the Lord removed my desire to do that which was not of Him.

Eight years ago today I asked God to partner with me and parent with me. I asked Him to guide my decisions regarding you. I asked Him to show me how to love you. I asked Him to protect you. I asked Him to be your all. And He said ok. And He has provided all of our needs. And He has ordered all of our steps. And He has been our everything, just like He said He would.

Eight years later, December 10, 2010, I’m so proud of you. I see so much potential in you, and I am glad that God saw fit to bless me with you. You are a pulchritudinous and intelligent 8 year old young lady who loves the Lord. You think deeper than a lot of 8 year olds. You are constantly looking to God’s word to help you understand the world. You are confident. You’re highly self-motivated. You are a go-getter. You’re a wonderful big sister. You are a very caring person. You demand the best from others and from yourself. You are a great example to all those around you—including me.

Happy 8th Birthday, Amari. I wish you many more filled with God’s love and joy and peace. I urge you to put the Lord first in your life and promise you that if you do He will bless you beyond measure. Remember that God loves you and wants you to be happy. Don’t allow anyone to tell you that the things of this world are better than what God offers. It IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. Please remember Mark 9:23, Psalms 119:11, Psalms 119:105, Romans 8:28 and Proverbs 3:5-6. They are lifesavers.

Amari, I thank God for you EVERY day of my life. I am so much better because of you and I LOVE YOU WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS IN ME—and I always will!

Mark 9:23

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Psalms 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalms 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Romans 8:28

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.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Preparation is Key

My dad is an amazing man. He’s 87 years old and SHARP. He can still kick his leg in the air and touch his toe. His lye hominy, succotash, and hot water cornbread are delicious and can’t be matched! He knows every word of “’Twas the Night before Christmas”—and recites it with great emotion every year. He’s serious. He puts his best foot in EVERYTHING he does.

One thing I have learned from my dad is the importance of preparation. John F. Kennedy said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Henry Hartman said, “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.” My father is the embodiment of preparation. He is always READY.

On any given day you can find him in his room studying his Bible, reading a newspaper, or watching the news to keep up with current events. You can talk to him about almost anything, and he will have something intelligent to say about it. He’s charismatic and his demeanor attracts people to him. You can’t help but admire him and listen when he speaks. You care because it is obvious that he cares.

He shares knowledge about things most people are too busy to think about. On Thanksgiving, for example, my family and I cooked at my parents’ house. I asked my dad to say the prayer. We gathered around the table, starving to say the least, and before he prayed he gave a lengthy speech about the origin of Thanksgiving. None of us expected it…but he had his speech prepared and he delivered it, enlightening the young and reminding the old about where it all began. I appreciated it.

When it comes to money matters, he is on top of things. He reads every statement and hops on discrepancies right away. When tax time comes he is able to give accurate records to his preparer so that all she has to do is plug in his numbers and things go fairly smooth.

When he goes on vacation, his bags are packed neatly and efficiently. I don’t think he’s ever forgotten anything he NEEDED for a trip. His tickets are in hand and he is always on time for his flights.

When called to give accounts for any choices or decisions he’s made, he’s right there—documentation in hand—READY.

He has been in the ministry for over 53 years. In the 28 years that I’ve known him, there hasn’t been a time that he brought a message that he didn’t first prepare. I won’t say that every message he preached had the entire congregation shouting and running around the church, but I will say that the subjects had been given a great deal of thought, attention, and prayer.

My dad knocks out the stressful situations life throws him by being prepared. He enjoys the uplifting situations life sends his way because he is prepared.

One of my goals is to take my dad’s example and be better prepared for whatever comes my way. Preparation is key. And today I make the conscious decision to stay READY.

All Eyes Are On Me

I’m being watched. Everything I do is being scrutinized—and then emulated. And everything I say is being recorded—and then regurgitated. Can you imagine that? There are literally at least 2 sets of eyes studying my every move and 2 sets of ears listening to my every word every single day of my life…

If I put on skinny jeans and boots, sure enough there is a 7 year old in skinny jeans and boots and a 2 year old in Dora panties and boots looking right back at me and smiling. If I put on my sunglasses and look through the rear-view mirror, I will see 2 pair of shades staring back at me. When I listen to Amari playing teacher in her room, she sounds just like I do when I am checking her homework in the evenings. And when Halle brushes her father’s head a little too hard, she says, “I sorry, daddy” JUST LIKE I DO to her.

This got me to thinking. There are many ways that we can be witnesses for Christ…and one is to live for God and walk upright in our very own homes. The way I live in front of my children when no one is around is of the utmost importance. It affects how they see themselves, how they see our world, and how they see Christ.

Proverbs 22: 6 says to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. I’m nowhere near perfect, but I am working diligently to be a great example for my children. With the help of God, I am training them well.

I want my children to be honest, so I am honest and I stress the importance of being honest. I want them to understand forgiveness, so I forgive…and I love. I want them to be kind to others…so I am kind. I use situations that our loved ones go through to explain God’s order and the importance of living within His will and being obedient. I want them to always put their best foot forward, so I don’t accept mediocrity. I want them to live for Christ…so I do.

When I am driving down the street and someone cuts me off, I have a choice. I can use profanity and blow that person off the road or I can breathe, slow down, and thank God for traveling grace. The choice is mine to make…but all eyes are on me, and the choice I make affects more than just me--so I must choose wisely.

On Friendship

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20)

If asked to describe my friends, I would say that they are those who I enjoy spending time with and talking to the most. They are people who are honest with me even when the truth isn’t easy for me to hear. They are positive, upbeat, optimistic, fun-loving, and God-fearing people. They care about me and would “ride or die” if the situation called for it. They are compassionate and understanding. They rejoice with me when good things come my way. They are not jealous of me at all. I can trust them. I know that they would never do anything to intentionally hurt me. My friends are all goal oriented and constantly seeking to grow into their better and stronger selves. They are driven and supportive and challenge me to be better. I look to them for strength, godly counsel, and wisdom.

I hope they would describe me the same way as well.

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

It took an incident in which I wasn’t the “friendliest” to rock my world and show me the importance of not only having good friends, but of being a good one too. One day in high school, one of my dearest friends asked me to sit next to her on the school bus because she REALLY needed to talk. I don’t know what was wrong with me that day, but I told her that I didn’t want to change my seat and she was welcome to sit next to me if she needed to talk. She looked at me with such hurt in her eyes and I looked past her hurt and turned away. By the end of the bus ride, she hadn’t moved and neither had I. Her heart ached and mine was filled with anger (since that was the emotion I ran to when I didn’t know what else to feel). That day changed our relationship. We went from being inseparable to seeing each other in the hallways and looking the other way.

I later found out that she was dealing with a weighty family situation and didn’t think anyone would understand better than I would. This friend was someone who was usually in a better mood than I was, but in her (rare) moment of need I wasn’t there for her. Why? There was honestly no good reason. When I found this out, I felt terrible. I attempted to apologize a few times after that, but she was too hurt to hear me…

We eventually reconciled years later, thank God, but I missed a lot of opportunities to celebrate her life with her and vice versa because of that one moment when I was too stubborn and too selfish to be a good friend. Me staying in my seat wasn’t worth what I lost.

That situation taught me that being a good friend means sometimes stepping outside of my comfort zone, getting over myself, and being aware of and sensitive to the needs and desires of others. To have friends, I MUST be one.