Expectation

Yesterday, we announced that we are expecting a child this fall. The love and support has been nothing short of overwhelming. The word expectation is defined as a strong belief that something will happen. I’ve always wanted children. I’ve seen myself with children, but never knew the “when” or the “who.” The “who” came and we waited on the “when.” It was not when we were planning. It was when God said so. It was in due season. It was when God ordained it. Even now, I’m still waiting. I still have expectation. I know this child is coming. I have a due date, but its still out of my control. Truthfully, my “when” and the Dr.’s “when” may not be God’s “when.” Whatever you are trusting God for, know that it will come when God says so, and even then you’re gonna have to wait. Waiting is the prerequisite for expectation.

Be Phenomenal

There are two Maya Angelou poems that stick out from my chidhood, "And Still I Rise" and "Phenomenal Woman." I know that when I read those words, I believed her. I knew the "Pulse of the Morning," and why the caged bird sings. Maya's words made me think that I could be more than my circumstances. She made me love my big lips. She made me celebrate my queendom, I had yet to discover. She taught me that I was a phenom. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are phenomenal. We are wives. We are mothers. We are teachers. We are friends. We are encouragers. We are nurturers. We are phenomenal women. Fix your crown, sis! Be phenomenal!

Be Amazing

What was in God's mind when he created you? What words did He speak to create you? When you look in the mirror do you speak the words to yourself? Do you call yourself wonderful? Do you call yourself a prophet to the nations? See yourself the way God intended. Be beautiful. Be creative. Be amazing. 

 Jeremiah 1:5(NIV) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Righteous

The government has been partially shut down for thirty- four days and counting. The effects of this shutdown will have residual shockwaves for years to come. People are being forced into free labor. Hard decisions are being made while bills continue to mount up. There are glimmers of hope and humanity popping up through sponsored meals and food drives, but our government has to do better. My faith says, “ God is in control.” My heart says, “Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves that no matter what it looks like, we are not forsaken.

Rise

In Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a bird that regenerates. The Phoenix obtains new life from rising from the ashes of its predecessor. In some sources, the Phoenix dies by bursting into flames and is reborn from its own ashes. I've always admired the ability to reinvent oneself. People do not have the ability to regenerate in the mythical sense, but we do heal. We do reinvent ourselves. We do rise from the ashes of our failures. We do rise and we have the ability to be reborn. We can always change our mind. We can change our trajectory.  Every day is a second chance to get it right. What are some of the areas in your life that you can rise from today? What have you overcome? How have you reinvented yourself?

Restoration

Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

res·to·ra·tion

/ˌrestəˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition.

2. the return of a hereditary monarch to a throne, a head of state to government, or a regime to power.

Most of us can remember all the things we have lost in this life. For those of us who have experienced tragedy, the list might be in the forefront of our minds. We reminisce. We remember, and sometimes we regret. Loss has a way of bringing up all sorts of emotions, but how do we feel when we experience restoration? How do we feel when the claim check is in the mail? How do we feel when we buy another house? How do we feel when we get a second chance to get right? God is a restorer. He is a God of restoration. For everything you have lost, you should have an expectation of God. God is a God of more than enough. There are countless stories of restoration in the bible. My favorite is Job, a strong second is Elijah and the widow. Take time to focus on God’s word and ask for restoration in your life. What do you need God to restore?

Work

It's funny how people don't really understand that anything worth having requires work. Success takes work. Friendships require work to maintain. Relationships require a lot of work. Marriage, degrees, anything that comes with a title takes work. Blood, sweat, and tears type work. "I put my all in" type work. "I gave it everything I have" type work. "I wake up early and go to bed late" type work. I just don't get it. I do get it, actually. Things you don't work for, you don't value. They are disposable. So, people and relationships become disposable when you don't work for it. Things of little value can be discarded without second thought. What do you value? Who do you value? The answer to both questions is what or whom did you work for?