Transition Phase!

Ughhhhhhhh!!!! Life, life, life! So by God's grace, I am now a graduate student at Philadelphia Biblical University. God is so good to me because he has given me the desire of my heart which was his desire for my life. I am on a mission for the Lord to pursue a degree in Biblical Counseling to serve his people in a lost and dying world. Graduate Orientation is September 2nd and I am so excited!!!!! On the flip side people, I am struggling! I am currently staying with my father, and I am ready to go! My father is a Muslim, and I am constantly talked to in a harsh or demeaning way. I have some money saved up; however, it is not enough to pay rent consistently. I am trusting the Lord for a job, and I have been applying to jobs like crazy. I was told by a sister in Christ to take out some loans and don't work. She also says that God wants me to relax. That sounds really good, but I need some type of income. I am moving out of my father's house very soon because I am trusting the Lord to provide a place and a roommate. I am praying and trusting God that he will lead and direct me because I need some love and encouragement from the Saints. I praise God that I go to a Christian school because I am certain that I will find some believers to encourage me and labor alongside. I recently visited Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and next Sunday I am going to Epiphany Fellowship. I am trusting the Lord to find a solid church I can serve in as well. I say all of this to say: Please pray for me Saints in regards to a job, where to live, and the encouragement and love I need from believers. Thank you so much!!

Lady in Waiting!!!!!!!!

Whooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! It is so hard to wait on the Lord but he is definitely helping me to hold tight to his word and promises. I recently had a group interview at Philadelphia Biblical University for the Christian counseling Master's Program. I was nervous going into it but the Lord strengthened me through his word and Holy Spirit. The day of the interview I read Psalm 62 along with John 15. Psalm 62 talks about finding rest in God and looking to him as your hope and your salvation. David tells his soul to rest in the heavenly Father and tells the people to trust in God at all times and pout out their hearts to him. I was so encouraged. I am called to be anxious about nothing but to present my request to God and he will give me the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 2:6-7). I have to rest in God and be confident that whatever he has for me is good and perfect. My dream amd desire is to be in Philly in graduate school preparing to serve the kingdom of God through counseling in an urban context, Why wouldn't God allow me to do that? Is that my own desire or is that a desire he has given me? Waiting for my acceptance or rejection letter is scary but I am confident that Philly and graduate school is where he wants me. Pray for me Saints because I am in the process of deciding exactly where to live,and I am in desperate need of a job. Until then, I will be waiting and resting in the Father.

Me and Brittany!!!!!!!!!

I met Brittany Freeman this summer working as an intern for Common Ground Montgomery, and she is absolutely amazing. She and I grew to know each other deeply and she is now one of my closest friends. The Lord brought us together by the power of his Holy Spirit, and her skin color is not like mine. Growing up as an unbeliever, I never imagined being close friends with a white girl. Now as a believer, I see people created in the image of God that happen to be different from me. I used to believe that I was inferior to white people because I was black, but in Christ we are all new creatures. There is neither Jew nor Greek nor male or female with Jesus. We are apart of one body made up of many members. I praise God for racial reconciliation!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Covenant Eyes by Trip Lee

Chorus: Look at dat, what you lookin at
Oooo she lookin good nah man I aint lookin back
Im watchin what I'm watchin, and yea this thang hard
But I'm watchin what I'm watchin we gotta be on guard
Look at dat, what you lookin at
Oooo she lookin good nah man I aint lookin back
Im watchin what I'm watchin, and yea this thang hard
But I'm watchin what I'm watchin we gotta be on guard

Last Verse: With every single glance man my sin tries to kill me
So I ain't givin in all my brothers gotta feel me
I'm free from my slavery you know that aint the real me
I belong to my God and I can't let no lust steal me
There's nothing I can gain the sister shouldn't move me
Cause my God is holy the epitome of beauty
Bought me with a price and I'm prayin He would rule me
My eyes belong to Him He's my King and Lord truly
As men who trust Jesus, we can't be cool wit all dat
So when my eyes start to trip, I tell em boys to fall back
So if you see me look away don't be surprised
Since I'm in love with my God, I got some covenant eyes

A covenant is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action.
To make a covenant with your eyes is to not look upon a man or a woman lustfully or to watch something that will cause you to fall into sin. In other words, you make a promise to refrain from an action that will cause you to sin. For example, not looking back at an attractive woman or not watching kissing or sex scenes in a movie.

When I heard this song for the very first time, I was convicted and blown away. I understand for the first time in my christian walk (I have been a believer for 3 years) what it means to make a covenant with your eyes. As a woman, I am not as visual as a man, but my mind can go to places it should not go. I can have an affair with a dude in my mind without him ever knowing it (yes, woman fantasize). I have lusted after dudes in my heart and took an extra look when I should have turned my head. God's standard for purity is so high that we have to be on guard as Trip Lee says in his song.

Matthew 5:27-30
²⁷"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'^e]">[e] ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
³It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴that each of you should learn to control his own body^a]">[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

The media, magazines, and the culture promotes and encourages sexual immorality. Women wear clothes that cause men (christian and non-christian) to lust. Men have to walk with their heads down or close their eyes in order to stay pure. It is hard out here for both Christian men and women because the culture is anti-God. For those of us who are regenerated, we must fight to stay pure. For the ladies, we must turn our heads and not make up affairs in our hearts with different men. We must wait patiently on our heavenly Father to send a Godly man into our lives in his perfect timely. Some of us may never get married, and we have to be okay with that because Christ is ultimately all satisfying. Brothers, oh how I pray for you guys!!!!! Flesh is everywhere and women flaunt it so openly! Men, keep your eyes on our heavenly father and don't flirt with sin. My brothers and sisters, let's fight and make war against sin. Christian marriages are ending in divorce because of infidelity and women are wearing immodest clothes in the house of God. My prayer is that we would truly live in a way that is counter-cultural. People of God: Let's live as the bible calls us to live!!!!!! Yes, temptation is everywhere but the bible says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it". You do not have to give into temptation; however, if you do fall, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that our God is faithful and just to forgive us (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9).
LET'S MAKE A COVENANT WITH OUR EYES!!!!!!!!

Looking foward to what God has in store!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited to see what God has brewing once I leave Montgomery, Alabama!! I am headed to Philadelphia Biblical University to pursue a degree in Christian Counseling. The Lord has called me to the ministry, and my heart is in the hood. The Lord began to reveal to me what he had for me to do. I begin to be burdened for the urban community and those that were lowly and abused physically, sexually,and emotionally. My heart would ache and go out to the hood because I know what goes done in rough places. The place I ran from is the type of place my heart yearns to be (pretty ironic)! I know what it feels like to feel hopeless and lost in the world. I know what it feels like to hate life and even your own life. Many people in improvished communities are suffering internally, crying out for help. If I don't go to the hood; my heart won't rest, and I will miss out on seeing God work in dynamic ways. I see God in a way I have never seen him before when I am going through trials and working with inner city youth. I grew to understand God's grace through little girls on the Westside of Washington Park in Montgomery, Alabama. Those kids lived in an urban setting where they were familiar with hurt and pain. I want to enter into the suffering of others and watch the Lord work.

Why Philly?
I feel in love with the city of Philadelphia when I was in high school. I told myself that I was going to come back to live in Philly and that is where I am headed!!!! Yay!!!! I believe that the Lord is calling me to Philly because there is a need for strong believers on the eastcoast. The eastcoast is a lot different from southern culture. I have been in the bible belt for four years and now it is time to go back to my home front. Philly is about sixty-five percent Muslim and is pretty dangerous. To profess Christ on the eastcoast is bold and courageous. I want to be uncomfortable and sacrifice my time and life for the sake of the Gospel. I have a strong desire to move into an urban community in Philadelphia and work with abuse victims and drug addicts. Prayerfully (in Jesus name), I will get married and my husband and I will serve God in the urban community. Right now, I am praying for a place to live and a church to serve in. I am also praying for the funding to attend school for free. I am stepping into the unknown because I don't know what Philly will encompass but I have to trust the Lord.

Justice and Mercy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew 23:23

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the things.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm 89:14

Rigtheousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

If God is a just and loving God and has a heart for the poor, oppressed, and widow, why does the church seem to turn the other cheek? Why do we seem to be so focused on our relationship with God when our neighbor is hurting and injustices are flooded our communities. Why do we walk by on the other side when we see a human being created in God's image hurting and crying out for help? Why? Why? Why?

As I am sitting in a bible study and hearing God's heart for injustices and oppression, my heart is aching. As I look around the world, I see racial division, inferior educational systems in poor areas, police corruption, violence, divisions in churches, and hurting, bitter people. As Christians, what are we doing? Martin Luther King Jr., an advocate for Civil Rights, spoke up for the rights of black people. He gave up his life and risked the life of his family to see whites and blacks join together. His letter from a Birmingham jail was a plea and a declaration for his stance on justice in America. The white clergy men in the church wanted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to stop his nonviolent protesting and speeches on justice and equality. He did not stop fighting and died for the we should stand up and never stop fighting for the injustices in the world.Some whites were on Dr. King's side while many were against what he was doing. God's hates evil and when people are treated unfairly. If a person is treated unfair and taken advantage of, what is our response?

What is God up to this summer? (Continuation)

A BROKEN VESSEL by Linda Stevenson

You may break this earthen vessel
And set all the contents free;
Lord, do whatever you must do
Just to bless someone through me.

I will not gain if I stay whole
And just passively exist,
If selfish gain my whole contain,
That's of all my life consists.

I would rather, Lord, be shattered,
Crushed and spilled out just for Thee,
If others will find your healing
And encouragement through me.

Don't spare me pain to live in vain,
Miss the opportunity
To lift someone who has fallen,
Lord, A soul in need of Thee.

Now, You've made this earthen vessel;
I relinquish it to Thee.
Release the healing fragrance, Lord;
Bless a hurting soul through me.

The Lord has me in a place of brokenness this summer; Man, it hurts but I praise God for the struggles because through the struggles I see my need for him. I was an intern for Common Ground Montgomery last summer and I am also an intern this summer. Common Ground Montgomery is a non-profit ministry located on the Westside of Montgomery. Their aim and goal is to see children as well as their families transformed by the power of the Gospel. They are passionate about racial reconciliation and seeing healing and transformation in the urban community. They started an internship for college students to assists them in their efforts to love and preach the Good News to hurting children. This is the second year that Common Ground has hired and used college students to impact the lives of these children. I absolutely LOVE Common Ground!!!! Through their ministry, the Lord has used the precious lives of young girls and boys to draw me closer to him. I have a better understanding for God's love and grace because of them. We are reading a book entitled "Divided by Faith" which stresses the need for racial reconciliation and how we as Christians contribute to the division between whites and blacks in the Church. Last summer as an intern, I lead the bible study teaching for the younger girls (6-8) along with a small group. This summer I am not a leader and I am assisting another intern with a small group. There is a reason for that. My walk with the Lord has been works based rather than relying on God's grace and believing that through his blood I am righteous in his eyesight. I have been trying to prove to God that I am worthy through my Christian duties and Pharisee lifestyle that I missed out on true intimacy with my King. I am broken because I can no longer depend on my own efforts to make me righteous but I must rest in God's grace. It is by grace that I have been saved and works will not get me into heaven. The Lord is also forcing me to deal with past abuse that I have not dealt with. When you think you are over something, God has a funny way of bringing things back up!!!!! I am learning about the purpose of suffering and trials along with God's heart for the poor, oppressed, and widow. I am hurting because I am seeing so much sin, but I trust him so much more then I have in the past. The Lord has me where he wants me and I am fine with that. Sometimes I wish he would stop crushing me, however; I want the Lord to do whatever he must do to bless someone through me.