The Storm is OVER Now

It's over now. I feel like i can make it. The storm is over now.

No more cloudy days.  They're all gone, gone away.  

I feel like i can make it. The storm is over now

If i walk alone. I'm not on my own. I feel like i can make it. The storm is over now

No more cloudy day. The storm is over now. No more crying at night. The storm is over now.

No more sickness in my body. The storm is over now.

No more tears and sorrow. No more heartache and pain. No more suffering.

No more.  It's over now.

- The storm is Over Now (Kirk Franklin)

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I've known that Kirk Franklin song for YEARS.  I mean, I think it was one of the first songs that I held onto to help me get through my teen pregnancy, school and the other mess that was going on.  It helped me realize that the storm has to end sometime.  There is never a storm that goes on forever and ever.  It may last for a while.  It may even wreak havoc and create a season of clean up and restoration.  But it still can't last forever.

So as I've held onto that, it has been my closing statement for a lot of my trials and tribulations.  But as I am walking into a new season and faith in my life, I have come to realize something else.  Something more profound and insightful.  I thank God for His wisdom because now I can share it with you.

Over the past couple years, I have really been working on renewing my mind, controlling my emotions and getting my will under the obedience of God and I have been feeling like I'm on the home stretch.  Of course, I still have work to do.  We ALL do because we were not born without sin so we don't live without sin BUT we can live in the fullness of His grace for the sin and sins that we may commit. 

What am I saying?  I'm saying that I understand now, in a moment of clarity as I blasted this song through my house, that the storm was never external.  It was never my pregnancy, it was never my struggle through school, it was never my financial situation and it was never my relationships.  The storm was in me.

Read the song over again and really 'take in' what I just said.  As I listened to it this morning, my eyes opened wide when I felt His peace wash over me.  Like I had just been released from the torrential rains, destructive winds and unpredictable earthquakes (some high, some low on the Richter scale) inside of me.  The storm has always been IN me.  

The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy.  And EVERYTHING he wants is IN you.  If he can steal your joy and peace, he can have health.  If he can kill your trust, he can have you marriage.  If he can destroy your finances, he can have your security.  He doesn't want or need ANY of your external stuff... he wants what's IN you to reflect on what's outside of you.

The storm has never been on the outside.  Everything I have been writing about in the past few months has brought me to this revelation.  The storm is not around you, it is IN you.  And because you have dominion over your mind, body and soul... COMMAND IT TO STOP.  Tell yourself 'enough is enough'.  I'm taking back my finances, I'm taking back my peace, I'm taking back my marriage, I'm taking back my health, I'm taking back my joy, I'm taking back my mind, I'm taking back God's Will for my life, I'm taking it ALL back.  THE STORM IS OVER NOW.

Ask God to help you RECOVER all that has been stolen.  Ask God to REVIVE all that has 'died' in you.  Ask God to RESTORE all that has been destroyed. He can do it.  He just needs YOU to agree with Him, have faith and believe that it will come to pass.  Don't let the devil convince you that it's hopeless.  Don't let the devil make you believe that it's irreversible.  Don't let the devil convince you that all is lost.  Because if you believe him, your storm will NEVER be over.  He'll just keep tearing you up, inside and out.

Envision the devil as a tornado, destroying everything in it's path... your potential, your dreams, your children, your finances, your peace, your joy, your health, your future.  Now envision yourself, brave as ever, knees shaking and everything, standing in his path with your hand up saying "STOP!  THIS STORM IS OVER NOW!!!"  Now watch the tornado spin around you, not touching you, over and over and again, trying to scare you, DON'T YOU MOVE, keep that hand up, close your eyes if you have to. Stand strong. Lean on His Word. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. You're more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. He died so that you might have life and have it more abundantly... SAY IT... DECLARE IT... DON'T MOVE... he's losing power, he's coming around again, but he's losing power. Here he comes again, he's trying to regain a hold on you, don't move. Your child is cussing you out. Don't move. Bills are coming in. Don't move. Money is TIGHT. Don't move. You feel alone. Don't move. Why did he cheat on me? Don't move. You feel sick. Don't move. You feel out of control. Don't move. You're scared. Don't move, STAND STRONG. Stretch your arms high and wide, look UP to your Deliverer and DON'T MOVE!!!!  

Now watch as he goes away, unable to move you, defeated, nothing but a faint breeze in your life now because the Word, which was made flesh [Jesus Christ], is in YOU.  

Believe it! Receive it! Declare it! THE STORM IS OVER NOW.  

Be Blessed in RECOVERING, REVIVING AND RESTORING ALL THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS LOST IN YOU 

The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness. - John 10:10 GNT

God is Love. Love is Life. Life is in The Word.

Walking on Water

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:27b-31 NIV

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I woke up this morning in a bit of a panic. I was fine all week, but the weight of the decisions I have been making seemed to be pulling me down this morning. Although I was wide awake (lying in my bed) I felt like I was standing in a boat with one foot in and one foot out, on the water. Common sense was telling me "Get back in the boat!" But my heart was pleading with me saying "Trust me. Step out of the boat".

As my day went on, I was experiencing waves of emotions - panic, anxiety, excitement, peace, joy and worry. But most of all - urgency. A quickening in my spirit to do what I know I have been called to do. What I was born to do. It has been my strong desire to follow my heart that has kept me from getting back in the boat, even when my mind, my thoughts, my 'common sense' tells me otherwise.

The one thing I love about my Brother and my Father (I'm refering to Jesus and God), is that they make crazy seem sane. If anyone had asked me a couple years ago to make the decisions I've made over the past month, I'd laugh them to shame. But now, I can say with confidence "I'm trusting in God." And the only thing I can compare 'trusting God' to is the story of Peter. I understand why Peter started to sink because I think that's what our faith represents from time to time... trusting God until it gets too hard, trusting God until it doesn't look like it's going to work out, trusting God until we feel like we're sinking.

But God is saying 'Trust in Me always. Trust in Me in the good times and the bad times. Trust in Me when you have money and when you're broke. Trust in Me when you feel full of joy and when you are depressed. Trust in Me always. I won't let you drown.' And I'm learning that to trust in God inclusively and exclusively is scary and reassuring all at the same time.

Peter really didn't have to worry about sinking... he just THOUGHT he did. We really don't have to worry about going hungry... we just THINK we do. We don't have to worry about never getting married... we just THINK we do. And we don't have to worry about being miserable or broke or alone for the rest of our lives... WE JUST THINK WE DO.

If God wanted us to worry or be unhealthy or be broke or be stressed or lonely or have relationships that are lacking He NEVER would have sent His Son to die for all of that. By thinking and worrying and sabotaging and being disobedient and being unforgiving we are saying to God 'You didn't have to send Jesus to die for us... we prefer to be miserable, broke, busted and disgusted. Thank you very much.'

Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm tired of all that. I've tried trusting myself, I've tried trusting in man, I've tried trusting in the government, my job and my education. I'm tried-out. Moving forward, I'm going to trust God. I'm going to lean on His promises, I'm going to follow His instructions and I'm going to be obedient to His Word. I'm going hard. Not because I'm a super Christian and a religious monarch but because I've been sinking all my life and today, I declare, I'm ready to walk on water. Amen.

Be Blessed IN STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAT

34So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. - Matthew 6:34 AMP

Being the "Bigger Person"

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Romans 12:21

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For those of you who are just getting to know me, if you haven't caught on already, I have been working REALLY hard on stripping myself of alot of issues and baggage that I was carrying around for a while. And I had alot. More than I even realized when I started this process. And what's funny is that more and more issues/baggage keeps popping up when I think I have everything under control. Which brings me to today's thought: Being the 'bigger person'.

Whoever came up with that cliche must have been sniffing glue because it is ALOT easier said than done sometimes. I could never understand how people like Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus could take the ridicule, abuse and outright injustices that they endured and still preach a message of love. I mean, if anyone had the right to wipe out a nation with the snap of a finger it would have been Jesus. But instead he died for his enemies. He turned the other cheek. Speaking of cheeks, that the other cliche that I never understood. I figure, I only have 2 cheeks, so once you get me twice it's time for you to feel my wrath.

Thank God I've come such a far way because trust me, my rage could go from 0-150 in under a second. To me, being the 'bigger person' meant puffing up my chest and telling you about yourself, your mother, your grandmother and her neighbour. TThankfully, that Margo came to quick halt when I read the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) and Jesus said that it is our duty to forgive others "seventy times seven". Now, I'm not a mathmetician but I can do simple math so I know 70 times 7 equals 490. 490. If someone was to disrespect or act a fool towards me EVERYDAY for the next year and four months, I would have to forgive them... 490 days, 490 times. I would have to be the bigger person. (If you haven't read this parable, you have to because it will dead every and any arguement you have in respect to unforgiveness, revenge and bitterness.)

Needless to say, being the 'bigger person' has been my biggest, ongoing challenge in my walk to wholeness. So, I've come to the conclusion that God thinks He's funny. As I have MULTIPLE people around me trying my patience EVERYDAY and based on the Word, I'm expected to be the 'bigger person'. God is definitely a natural comedian. But I'm learning. God always has His way of doing things and if you take a step back for a second and take a look at your life you'll see that in all honesty God deals with people and situations better than you could in a million years. And if you don't know that yet... stop playing God and let Him do His work. If you're not going to be obedient to His instructions, atleast stop doing what you're doing because chances are if you're trying to take matters into your own hands, you've made it worse, dragged it out and exhausted all of your resources. And whatever you've been fighting still hasn't changed. Trust me, I know. Been there, done that and still do it sometimes. Let God be God.

I wanted to share this thought because I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Being the 'bigger person' is asked of us always - in marriage, at work, in relationships, at home - everyday in most situation. And being a 'bigger person' is CRITICAL in forgiveness, letting go and moving forward. I just have to say though... I'm sooooooo glad it wasn't me that had to go the cross because I know NONE of us would have been saved. Thank you Jesus.

Be Blessed in BEING THE BIGGER PERSON


Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink." - Romans 12:19-20a

"'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." - Leviticus 19:18

You are GREAT

Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God and show
yourself to be conformed to His will] and be at peace; by that [you shall
prosper and great] good shall come to you.

Job 22:21 AMP

I am now coming to understand that the Word of God has been lost in transalation. Not in the literal sense but in the spiritual sense: the Word is getting stuck between the Spiritual realm and physical realm. Adam, Eve and the devil single-handedly created a glitch in the Matrix which is the essence of understanding the depth and significance of Spiritual and physical. Thank God that Jesus was sent and died to be ressurrected and rectify that glitch.

We have conformed [molded] to the world and can not see the joy, peace and life from being transformed [changed, metamorphosed] into who God created us to be. We have always been Spirit beings renting a physical body, just like Jesus. But through the fall of man we continue to hide from God, behind sin, intead of boldly confessing our presence in the Lord. We are hiding behind the sin that is suppressing our POWER. We have deceived ourselves into thinking that we are less significant than birds when in fact we are formed in the PERFECT IMAGE of the Most high God.

Don't be initimidated by Spiritual vs. physical. Spiritual IS physical. Whatever is happening in our lives in one realm is a direct relfection of what's happening in the other realm (Pastor Creflo Dollar). In other words, if it is broken, lacking or missing in the physical realm that means that it is broken, lacking and missing in the spiritual. Therefore, if you fix it in the spiritual realm, you'll start to see it restoration in the physical realm.

The glitch isn't in religion, the world or the devil. The glitch is in your mind. When you come to come to understand and BELIEVE the power and GREATNESS that is within you, the sky is NOT the limit, it is only the beginning.

Be Blessed in DISCOVERING YOUR GREATNESS.

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. - Romans 12:2 AMP