The Grace to Love

Tonight I read 1 Corinthians 13. It's one of my all time favorite chapters in the Bible because it speaks on the real definition of LOVE which is Christ-Like sacrificial love, the type that hurts you when you CHOOSE to act it out. Today at work I witness a particular event occur that involved two pharmacist working at different stores, and an elderly man that needed approximately 12 prescriptions filled. The man seemed to be having a hard time with his primary pharmacist who didn't appear concerned with whether or not the elderly man got his medications. After many unsuccessful tries to which the pharmacist told the man " if you don't like it, switch pharmacies!" this man called our pharmacy to transfer his prescriptions over. My pharmacist was able to transfer the prescriptions and I filled it all for the man. Upon arriving to pick up his medication, the man expressed his gratitude and vowed to permanently remain with our store because of his pleasant experience. While at work something about this experience dawned on me. Both pharmacist were highly qualified and capable of helping this man so I began to ask myself, what was the difference between these pharmacist that made the man prefer our location over the competitor? It was LOVE. I often time hear that no one cares what you know until they know how much you care. This was the case. Both pharmacist are pharmaceutical doctors and masters of their field yet one spoke in hostility and the other in love, and love made the difference. This is what the 1 Corinthian 13 meant.

       " If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 

  
No matter how educated we are, if we walk without love, we will have ZERO influence on the world. I cannot talk about love without mentioning that Love is not a feeling, it is a deliberate choice to reflect Christ in our relationships with others. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. Love never fails.

More times then not, loving people will involve being able to forgive them. I find it interesting that 1 Corinthians 13 says that "Love keeps no record of wrongs" which means Love turns the other cheek over and over again just like Christ did. In the Scripture they ask Jesus, " Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" -Matthew 18:21 "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."- Luke 17:4 With dealing with love we have to remember the Lord's prayer that said " Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us". We will never know love, until we learn to forgive for it was in forgiving us of our sins, that Christ showed His Love for us. In a world that doesn't recognize Christ, we must choose to be the walking reflection of Him. Our speech should encourage like His, our hands should hug like His, our feet should tread the path of peace, and our hearts should show forth His compassion to the very least among us. Love is a hard choice when we try to do it own our own because we are imperfect, but the grace of God can help us. It makes a difference in how others see us, and will even make people that do not know God, at the very least, inquire about the God that we serve that makes us so different. I pray to God that He helps us to be like Him everyday. The song "Jesus Friend of Sinners" by Casting Crowns have been on my heart all week and the line that resonates with me is "♫ Let our hearts be led by mercy, Help us reach with open hearts and open doors. Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours ♫- ♥ I pray that the things that break God's heart will break our hearts too. I pray that we all become agents of love and forgiveness and may we learn each day to put aside our hurt and pride, and reach out with love not for us, but for the Glory of God. Amen.

Yorkamazing <3

T.M.V- Matthew 18:21

                        "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

In You we live, and move and Have our Being

For a while I have been so busy and still am busy with school. Trying to graduate is no joke! Anyways, I have been reciting this verse for a couple of days now and wanted to share it with you all.

 Acts 17:28a

" For in Him we live and move and have our being" 

As we go about the business of life, it's important to stop and realize that it is Christ that gives us the grace to do all that we are doing. It is in Him that we live. Every breathe is a gift from Him. The grace to go out and come back in peace to the place we call home is the working of His grace. It is in Him that we move. The Bible says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). He levels the uneven paths, makes straight the crooked roads and opens the doors to the paths that were closed off from us. It is in Him that we have our being. All that we are and can ever be, it is IN HIM, BECAUSE OF HIM!  I pray that we never lose sight of this. May we never be too tired to acknowledge Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. 

As I live, I am constantly reminding myself to slow down sometimes, and just sit quietly in His presence. Below is an old song that I first heard during a service at my church in Austin, TX. I remember the day I heard this song. It was in the middle of a horrible week of classes, exams, and i was  falling apart. I felt so weak and so helpless but that Sunday I forced myself to get out of bed and went to church. I just needed to hear God say that it will be okay because everything in me was crying. As broken as I was, when I entered the service, I heard the Pastor say that that day's service was going to be different. He spoke how God spoke to him and told him that His people needed to rest. The lights in the service were low and the entire service was a peaceful worship service. Immediately, the choir sang this song and I broke down and cried right there in service. How awesome is this God that He would see all that I was going through and decide to give me peace? I cried throughout the entire song and felt the peace of God fall on me. My strength was renewed and I left church feeling so alive! What is the purpose of all this that i'm writing? The main point is to STOP and find rest in Jesus Christ. Allow Him to lead you and strengthen you. In Him you live, move, and have your being so do not try to do it on your own.  Don't get too busy that you forget the source of your strength. 

Take Rest in Me- Deitrick Haddon

Yorkamazing <3

A Single Woman's Heart

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life"- Proverbs4:23 (KJV)

 "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."- Proverbs4:23 (NLT)

The Bible verse that I started this blog with is a very familiar verse, but lately I've been understanding it in a new way. I have been understanding it in a way that pertains to Godly relationships and waiting on God's time. A relationship/courtship is not something one enters into on superficial grounds because something fragile is involved and that thing is a woman's heart. Studying the above Scripture and thinking about my heart made me search deeper about what exactly my heart means. From it I learned/am learning that the heart controls personal matters, relationship matters, life decisions, trust, and eternity. This is the reason why, before it is given away, we must first make sure that it is being given to the right person who knows what exactly they are receiving and understands the instruction manual that accompanies it: FRAGILE! Handle With Care.

I began to break down Proverbs 4:23 starting with the very first word and phrase. In the King James Version, the Bible says "Keep thy heart" which means to hold on to, to be faithful to, or to act fittingly in relation to something. The New Living Translation says "guard your heart" which means to protect from harm, as if watching over. I began to understand that God is instructing us to be jealous over our heart and to see it as something valuable enough that it needs its own security and protection program to ensure that it is safe. The next phrase says " with all diligence" or "above all else". We are to make protecting our hearts a priority, in fact, the highest priority, above everything else. That means going above and beyond to make sure that nothing that is of potential harm comes near your heart or gets past the security of your heart. The last phrase of Proverbs4:23 says "for out of it are the issues of life" or "for it determines the course of your life". Now the Bible specifies why it is that we must protect our hearts! Our hearts contain the very things that will determine our entire life plus eternity. With our hearts, we trust God (Proverbs 3:5) which teaches us to trust God with all of our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. For everlasting life, though we confess it with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, we must believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We plan our life in our heart, though the Lord directs our paths (Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21). In order to see God, our hearts must be pure (Psalm24:4) and God blesses those whose hearts are pure (Matthew 5:8). Most importantly, we love with our hearts. The Bible tells us to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts (Luke 10:27).

With all the responsibilities of the heart, why wouldn't we want to protect it? It's like your bank account PIN number or the password to your underground treasure. You do not want any-ole-body having access to such valuable things. This is a single woman's heart. It is valuable. A woman seeks to be found by a man that understands this very fact. A man that can not comprehend the gravity of a woman's heart cannot be in possession of one. If you find a woman whose heart you desire, ask yourself if you are trustworthy enough, by God's standards, to hold her heart. A Godly woman will want a Godly man. The love a woman desires is that "Jesus-Type" love. What this means is an unconditional love that reminds the woman of the love she has found in Christ. The Bible commands " Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). But this is the part that caught my attention when studying this. The same Bible commands " wives submit unto your husbands as unto the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22). The word that caught my attention is "submit". Proverbs 4:23 was just telling us to keep our hearts, and here it is saying to submit!! This means that part of our submission is the submission of our hearts!! So this goes back to making sure that who we decide to give our heart is the right man, a Godly man that knows how to handle it. We submit to him and he loves us back with his heart. This is the correct transaction of hearts!

Ladies, do not be in a hurry to give out what is so valuable without first testing the fruits of the receiver and consulting the One who holds all hearts, including the hearts of kings. To my men, do not be in a rush to receive a woman's heart, until you are serious and have sought the face of God about it and asked for the grace to handle that which you are given. But if you have sought God's face, and he instructs you to pursue a particular woman, you are blessed for the Bible says "he that finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from God" (Proverbs18:22). A woman's heart is a good thing and that's why it is guarded for Mr. Right.....not Mr.Right-Now. Mr. Right-Now should not and will not play with what isn't rightfully his(my heart). I thank God that Mr. Right is not looking to play at all because he is ready to love and protect what is his. When he comes, I'll give him my heart and be his heart.  Until then, this heart is guarded.

Yorkamazing <3 
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T.M.V Songs of Solomon 8:4

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."

Call Unto Me, and I will Answer You

Today is the first day of my last semester as an undergraduate student. I woke up this morning in my quiet moment and the song on my heart  was "Whisper His Name" by Deluge. In addition, the Word of the Lord placed on my heart was Jeremiah 33:3 " Call unto Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know". This is my promise from God this semester. I want to urge you all to remember the Name of the Lord this semester or if you are not in school, in whatever part of your life that you are trusting God for something. We have a Heavenly Father that is ever ready to help His children, but like children of earthly parents do in time of trouble, we should call on our Heavenly Father for help. We are reminded of this Fatherly love in the Word of God.

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"- Matthew 7:11

Ask God, Call on Him, and He will answer you. He knows the gifts He wants to give you and desires to give it to you, but seek His face and ask Him. He will answer! May God bless you this semester and cause you to testify of His faithfulness at the end of the semester. Amen.

Whisper His Name by Deluge

Yorkamazing <3

T.M.V- Romans 8:32 

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

New Year Fitness Resolution

At the beginning of each new year, many make resolutions to loose weight and get in better shape for either health reasons or just personal self esteem reasons. As this year starts, I am happy that I will not be making that resolution this year. However, I will continue the resolution I made when I started my health and fitness journey in September 2011 as it was never my intention for it to be a journey with an end date, rather a lifestyle change. I vow to keep respecting my body and honoring it and the Maker by holding myself accountable for what I put in and on my body. I also want to encourage all those that made a new year resolution for better health to change your mindset and instead of making it a new year resolution, make it a life style resolution. In order to stick it your promise, seek the face of God and ask Him for the grace to uphold your promise and He will surely give it to you. I'm here with you too so if you should need any support or someone to hold you accountable, message me and I will be more than happy to assist you in any way I can! You can do this! If you stick to it from today, imagine where you will be in December 2013 and how you would look!! Take it one day at a time and you will surely succeed. This is YOUR journey! On your mark, get set.......GO!

Yorkamazing <3

HAPPY NEW YEARS! 2013!

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I thank God for sparing our lives to witness this new year. I want to challenge everyone to make this year a year that you seek God more and draw closer to Him. Confess your sins and ask God for the grace to be holy as He is Holy this year. Pray without ceasing and God will direct your paths and perfect that which concerns you. I love you all with the love of Christ Jesus! Welcome to 2013! God bless you all!

Yorkamazing <3

2013 Mission- Matt6:33

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"

Just Because I Disagree.....

I wanted to put my thoughts down tonight on a specific topic that is misunderstood. Just because I disagree with something or a particular idea, does not mean I have a phobia of those things. According to the dictionary, "phobia" is a noun that means "an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations; "phobic disorder is a general term for all phobias"- (Source: The Free Dictionary). With that being understood, people should know that there are a lot of things that I, as a Follower of Christ, do not agree with.  Christians are not phobics of anything we disagree with so don't be so quick to "judge" us and label us as such. We simply would rather be right with God than with men. When I voice these disagreements, I do not do it because I think I am perfect and without sin. It is not a sign of me "being holier than thou" neither is it a condemnation. Rather, it is just me, studying to show myself approve UNTO GOD. ( 2 Timothy 2:15) If we say we love God, we cannot love the things of this world, nor line up with the ideologies of this world. How can we call the name of God yet do the very things that He commands not to do? It is not possible! The Bible tells us

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him"- 1 John 2:15

In today's society, it is getting harder and harder to voice your disagreement on something without being labeled as a "religious freak" who uses the Bible to " judge" when the Bible says " only God can judge".  Disagreement is not judgement. It means I do not believe what you believe. If disagreement was judgement, then those that do not believe what I believe are in fact judging me too aren't they? I post many facebook status about my life and my journey through life with Christ. The woman I am today, is not who I was 2 years ago or even last year. Every day I wake up only striving to be more of who God created me to be and that means I pray for God to break me and re-make me daily.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."-Romans 12:2

But that's where the "problem" lies. This means that people will not like me. This also means that I will not be the most popular but rather I'll be infamous because my mind is no longer conformed to this world. I have seen more than my fair share of facebook statuses bashing me and insulting me because of what I stand for and the things I post. I don't mind and I do not care. Jesus already said that we will be hated by everyone because of Him (Matthew 10:22)so there's is nothing new or shocking in the hate that Christians are now facing.Being loved by this world leads to lukewarmness, that which my God hates. I rather be alone in my disagreement of something, than perish in the company and agreement of many.

Yorkamazing <3

T.M.V -Matthew 7:13-14

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."