But God!

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

But is a conjunction used to connect contrasting ideas. I tell my children that but negates everything said before it. That's a word right there....I was lost, but now I'm found. I was hurt, but now I'm healed. Now add God into the mix. You planned to hurt me....but God! I'm down and out, but God! I don't understand, but God! I don't see a way out, but God! It's okay to acknowledge your feelings and your situation, but don't count God out of the equation.

Vital Signs

If you have ever been to the doctor, one of the first things they do is check your vitals: temperature, pulse, respiration rate, and blood pressure. These are all important measurements when evaluating your health. Of course, there are other things they check as well, but these are key. When was the last time you got your vitals checked? Naturally and spiritually. Do a temperature check. How’s your mood? How’s your attitude? How’s your environment? When was the last time you enjoyed yourself? When was the last time you felt a thrill or a chill? How’s your breathing? How are you sleeping? Have you gotten any good rest? Pause Take a breath. What’s your blood pressure like? What have you done to get your blood pumping? When’s the last time you let yourself really feel? Check your body. Check your soul. Check your mind. Check your vitals signs.

Time to Renew

It’s that time of year again. License and insurance renewals notices are being sent. Taxes are being calculated. Fees are being paid. Even the bible acknowledge that there is a season for everything. The end of the year for me is like tying up loose ends. It’s the time of year that I reflect on my accomplishments and my failures. This year is a bit different. This year made the world pause and pivot. This year was about change and doing things differently. This year is a reminder that we all still have room to grow and change for the better. It’s time to start over.. It’s time to rethink some things. It's time to renew.

Well with my Soul

I grew up reading Revelations and red book hymnals in church. The choir marched in and wore embroidered robes. Deacons started service with devotion. The church program was a four page newspaper. Tithes and Offerings was a wooden plaque that was updated weekly. Church fans had MLK picture and local funeral home information on the back. Sunday school attendance was a thing. I knew I was gonna be in church at least three times a week between services, rehearsals and midweek bible study. I might have resented it at the time, but I’m better for it. I knew the Sunday morning nudges were coming after a late night Saturday. I knew gospel would start my Saturday morning, if I spent the night by my grandparents house. I understand that pace a bit more day by day. I get why the mother’s wailed at the altar. It’s because of all those collective moments that I can say that despite 2020, it is well with my soul.

Reign

Reign is both a noun and a verb. It can refer to a period of time or the actual function that occurs during a certain period of time. We are supposed to reign in our lives. We are supposed to have lordship and function in that matter, but we don’t always behave in this way. We let fear reign. We let doubt reign. We let finances reign. We let every negative thing reign. If you find yourself in the midst of a storm, let God reign. Let peace reign. Let faith reign. Let joy reign.

Fallen

We all honor our dead in different ways. We memorialize them. We pay tributes. We reminisce. We laugh. We joke. We cry. We all grieve differently. We all process differently, and that’s ok. We all choose how to honor our fallen. Loss is a community feeling. Our lives are interconnected. So, today as America remembers the victims of 9/11, pray for our country, pray for our communities, pray for our neighbors. Honor the fallen.

Cancel Culture

Cancel culture is a term used to describe people, organizations and entities that have done or said something offensive. We tend to find it easy to dismiss celebrities, organizations and entities that offend us, yet we struggle to rid our lives of destructive thoughts and toxic relationships. The same energy we use to cancel culture is the same energy we should use cancel racism, poverty, and negative thinking. We should use our platforms to decry our insecurities, our fears, and our self-destructive behavior. It’s okay to cancel culture, but maybe we should focus our efforts inward as well.