"KNOCK IT OFF!"

Hello My Beautiful Sisters,

A few years ago I used to tell myself that I wasn't good enough. I began comparing myself with other "more Godly women" who deserved "more than I". Then one evening, during a Ladies Meeting at church, God basically told me to "knock it off!!" (potted version ) Well I took it to heart (literally) and never looked back. It made me do a complete 180.

I'm not claiming this to be the instant cure for everyone, but it can be - if you believe it and receive it. It's a process, a journey. For some, it's as short a journey as going to the mailbox while for others it's a cross-country drive, and the experiences along the way are different for each one of us.

The first leg of the journey is known as "head knowledge". That's when you hear or read the Word but you may not quite understand or believe it yet, so it sleeps quietly in your mind (the seed is planted).

The next leg is "heart knowledge". At some point "the [proverbial] light goes on" and we believe it, we understand it - we get it! The seed has been watered, has sprouted and the plant has grown until it fills our very soul.

Now comes the best part - ACTION! We do whatever it takes in order to make that belief a physical reality. For me it was "You know what? I AM worthy, I AM priceless and I DO have value, and there is no one on Planet Earth who can make me believe any different!"

This is for those of you who are wading through the river. I have prayed for you believing this spirit of depression to be lifted and completely gone from you. I am not praying that anymore because I know that prayer has been answered. Now I'm praying for daily strength, renewal and upliftment because that's all I can do for you now. The rest is up to you.

This is my most favorite scripture in the entire Bible:

"Fear not: for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, they Savior." (Isaiah 43:1b-3a)

A Pearl of Great Price

What is a pearl? It's a gem, a precious jewel. People travel the whole world over to find them. A perfect pearl is completely spherical and even in color, texture, hues, sheen and lustre. A pearl is made when some kind of irritant - a parasite or piece of grit - gets inside the shell and the animal builds a layer of 'nacre' around it in order to get relief.

What has gotten under your skin? What has been irritating you lately? Family, friends, work, church, traffic or road rage?

How do we handle it? Do we get mad, get even, gossip, or do we do nothing at all? We say things like "Why is it that all the [angry, sad, whatever] people seem to be drawn to me like a magnet?" We try to rationalize - "This must be my new calling/ministry. This is where God is leading me." But have we ever stopped to think about what is really happening? If we are crossed by someone who was argumentative, talkative or who is in a fit of road rage then perhaps these are issues in our own life that require attention, especially if it takes us to the point of feeling the strong and overwhelming desire to express ourselves (read Psalm 139:23-24).

God is speaking to us not necessarily about ministry, but about areas we need to work on. We sometimes look at a negative situation and say that the enemy is attacking us when really what it is, is spiritual healing. People testify in church about how someone did something to them and they attribute that to Satan sending that person in order to quench their spirit. This would be true if that person is totally led by the Holy Spirit, with both feet planted firmly on the ground, because this person's life is so full of pearls that they have more than enough to share. However, for the rest of us this is, more often that not, God's way of calling attention to our own 'self mission'. Over time as the layers of faith and trust build up a precious gem will be formed until what was once an irritation is no longer recognizable as such and only the beauty and lustre of the pearl is seen.

In James 1:2-4, James tells us to "Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature [perfect] and complete, not lacking anything" (NIV). We need to take the irritants of each day and wrap them in a layer of faith and trust, believing that our loving Father would not allow his precious daughters to go through these things alone.

Our suffering, perseverance and victory become our testimony with which we can help others, and each time we persevere we get stronger. There is a strong woman inside of us and even though this process is a slow one, we look forward to the end result - a beautiful, lustrous pearl.

God Bless You My Sisters