A Note From Me...

Hi guys! I've missed you this week.  I've had quite a few things going on healthwise, and landed in the ER twice in a matter of days. (Once for a pregnancy-related issue, and the other was non-pregnancy related.)  Little Jorden is fine, and I'm okay...just in a bit of pain from the non-pregnancy related issue.

Between dehydration, elevated blood pressure, and low iron, I have been ordered to take it easy this week. Today, I'm a bit out of sorts thanks to pain meds, so I'm going to follow those orders and just rest.

I will see you guys Monday.  In the meantime, keep me in your prayers.  And pray along with me for my fellow Alabamians who were affected by yesterday's horrible tornadoes.  It could have been any of us, but because of God's mercy, we were spared this time.

Before I go, I just want to encourage you to stay prayed up.  Not just when calamity hits your life, but even in the good times.  Let's not wait until God allows bad situations to occur in our lives to fall on our face before Him, but let us develop constant communication with Him on a regular basis.

Hope this post makes sense. LOL!!

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha

Because He Lives

Very early this morning my boys, Joseph and Jaxon, climbed in bed with me, showering me with hugs and wet kisses.  Seems like they couldn't wait for their dad to move out of their spot so they could climb in and snuggle with me.  Now I am not a morning person, but my boys wake up early with enthusiasm, so I have to follow suit.  So, after playing with them for a few minutes, I asked 21-months old Jaxon a question - "Jaxon, why do we celebrate Easter?"  Expecting nothing more than jibberish or something about balls as a response, I was completely surprised by his answer. Throwing both hands in the air, he exclaimed "Deedus!" (Jesus)  I gave him the tightest hug. Joey quickly erected from his lying position with wide eyes and said, "Mama, he said Jesus!"  That moment was priceless.

I went on to have a more in-depth chat with Joey (8) to reiterate the real meaning of this season. I wanted to make sure that he understood that it's not about the Easter Bunny, clothes, eggs, or candy.  He told me that he really loves Jesus, because Jesus died just for Him and that was a nice thing for Him to do.  I asked him if Jesus lives. His response "He lives in all of us." That warmed my heart. 

I especially love Easter, because it always reminds me of the true measure of Christ's love for me.  Not that I'm unaware of it on any other day, but this time of year causes me to reflect on the brutal suffering of my innocent Savior. He did not have to do, and He could have easily come down from that cross, but He didn't.  Instead, He chose to stay there and take my place.  He was crucified for my salvation.  What love!!

For me, the most powerful part of it all is not that He died, but that He rose.  And because He arose, I too, can rise above any situation that comes to hold me down.  Isn't that awesome?!

During this Resurrection weekend, take some time to reflect on power of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.  Be encouraged in knowing that because He lives, you have all you need to face tomorrow, no matter what it may bring.  Because He lives, you have life.  Because He lives, you have liberty.  Because He lives, you have power over the enemy. Because He lives...

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha 

God Is Faithful

I love my mom, Jackie.  She's such a vibrant, God-fearing, people-loving person. 

Early this morning, as I was praying for a friend's mom who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, my mind drifted back to a time when I was in my friend's shoes. My mom wasn't battling cancer, but a sickness that doctors couldn't quite put their finger on.

Back in 2008, my mom underwent double bypass surgery due to congestive heart failure.  Though the surgery was pretty serious, the Lord brought her through it just fine and she seemed to be in perfect health afterwards.  But then all of a sudden, something began to go terribly wrong in her body. 

For two years, I watched my mom suffer indescribable pain and suffering.  There were times she'd spend months in the hopsital, and doctors could never give us any answers.  She went through periods when she could not do anything for herself.  She needed 24-hour care.  Many times I honestly believed that I was going to lose my mother.  Though I trusted God and tried to always hope for the best, the situation looked so bad that deep down inside I was preparing my mind to plan my mother's funeral.

I watched my mother lose her strength, her vibrant personality, and her ability to be the amazing helper that she loved to be to others, but one thing I never witnessed her lose was her faith in God.  She never lost her hope.  She suffered greatly, and as much as she may have wanted to give up and die, her faith and hope kept her fighting.

It's been about eight months since my mom has had any sign of sickness, besides the common cold.  She's back to her vibrant self, and has full capability to completely care for herself.  God healed her...completely.  He gave her her life back, and snatched her out of the enemy's grip of death.

Her one wish was for God to keep her around so that she could be a great grandmother to her grandchildren.  My boys absolutely adore their grandmother, and she adores them.  Well, God granted her wish, and she does not miss a weekend with the two of them, if she can help it. 

The one thing I absolutely love about God is that He is so faithful, and He honors the prayers of the righteous.  Prayer was all my younger sister and I had to get us through that tough season.  Everytime I see my mom, I am reminded of the goodness, grace, and mercy of the Lord. 

Just as God brought my mother through her sickness, I have complete confidence that He will do the very same thing for my friend's mom.  And He will give their family the strength they need to stand strong during this difficult season.

No matter what we may face in life, God is able to turn things around.  Though the enemy may use things for our demise, God is always right there working it out for our good.  He's just that kind of God!

So hold on to your hope and faith, and trust that God is always faithful to perform His word.

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha

In Every Season, Give Thanks

I love Spring...it's my favorite season!  Not only because I'm a spring baby, but because it's so beautiful here in Mobile during that time.  The days are filled with the warmth of the sunshine.  Flowers bloom so beautifully. And nights are so pleasant.  Now, I'm not an outdoors type of person, but something about Spring makes me want to spend all my free time sitting on the beach. I love it!

However, in the midst of such a beautiful season, here along the Gulf Coast there is high humidity, killer tornadoes and thunderstorms, and extreme pollen.  For those reasons, many dislike spring in the south. 

One thing I have learned in life is that no matter what season we are in, and no matter how beautiful that season may be, there will always be some things mixed in that season we may not necessarily like.  But just as we can not do anything to rush the changing of the seasons of nature, despite how much we may dislike certain things about that particular season, there is absolutely nothing we can do to rush through the seasons in our lives.

I think that it is so important that we embrace what it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  Everything we endure in each season of our lives is a necessary part of God's will for us.  We must learn that despite the storms that occur in what we believe to be our beautiful season, we should always give thanks.

Whether you are experiencing a tough season, or one that is beautiful but has a few rough patches, give thanks.  There's nothing you can do to change it, so you may as well embrace it and ask God to help you bear it.  Besides, God is perfect in all of His ways, and He knows exactly what He's doing.  Be encouraged!

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha

I Give Myself Away...

"Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am." (Matthew 16:24, Message Bible)

I'm not really the type of person that needs to be in control.  I have a pretty passive personality, and I honestly don't mind following someone else's instructions, as long as I know I can trust them.  More often that not, I am perfectly fine with sitting on the passenger's side, or even taking the back seat. I know how to go with the flow.

As God has begun to reveal His plan of purpose for my life, I have found myself trying to control what I will and won't surrender to.  When God tells me to do XYZ, because I don't necessarily feel comfortable doing it, I will tell God, how about I do X, but not YZ? Or maybe I can just do ABC.  I have been so guilty of trying to make God compromise with me.  Sounds crazy, right?  Yeah, I know...

As I've spent time in prayer and meditation this week, God has shown me just how controlling I have tried to be when it comes to following Him and walking in His will for my life.  He helped me to realize that it is absolutely impossible to follow Him while trying to lead at the same time.  I woke up this morning with a song on my heart that says, "I give myself away so You can use me..."   And all I keep hearing the Lord saying to me is SURRENDER.

Right before I was about to finish up this post, I was led to go to Daily Cup of Inspiration where my favorite blogger, Dianna Hobbs, blogged about the exact same thing the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me all day.  I love it when God speaks to my spirit, then confirms it.  I love Him so much.  My greatest desire is to allow God to have full control in my life.  I am not in the driver's seat...He is.  I am encouraged all the more to submit my all to Him, and trust Him to lead me through life.  I am saying whenever, wherever, whatever, however...Lord I am Yours.

I know sometimes we think we know what's best for us, but the truth of the matter is that we don't have a clue.  The only way that we can fully be used by God is if we are totally surrendered to His way.  We must relinquish all control, and take a back seat, allowing Him to lead the way. Afterall, His way is the best way, and His will is the perfect plan for our lives. 

Join me in trusting God to lead the way, and follow Him along the path of purpose.  Throw your hands up in surrender and say, Lord I give myself away to You; have complete control in my life.

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha

Don't Let It Defeat You

Earlier, I'd planned to blog about how the Lord ministered to me this morning through the stories of Hannah, and Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.  I was so eager to share how God had blessed me, so I grabbed my laptop with enthusiasm.  I clicked the little e to open my browser, and instead of seeing my homepage, I see "The page you requested cannot be displayed."  Thinking it was just an error on my part, I repeated the same step about ten times, only to get the same message.  From there, I spent over an hour trying to troubleshoot my laptop. I checked my router, called my internet service provider, rebooted the computer a few times...all to no avail.  My internet connection would not work.

I found myself becoming frustrated.  At this point, my frustration wasn't because I was unable to blog, but because a tech gadget was getting the best of me.  I can't stand to be defeated by gadgets.  I take pride in being able to troubleshoot problems with cell phones, computers, ipods, video games, e-readers...anything technology related. I simply refuse to allow a gadget to outsmart me, and most times I don't quit until I have victory!  LOL!

But you know, the technology wasn't even the problem.  Nothing was wrong with my laptop or my internet service.  It was simply the enemy interfering with what God wanted to do through me.  It never fails.  The enemy is constantly coming against me.  He's always fighting to kill my purpose.  But why?  Why is he so adamant in his pursuit to destroy me?  Because He knows that God's purpose and plan for my life is greatly beneficial to the Kingdom.  He knows that as I allow God to work through me, lives will be changed, hearts will turn towards the Lord, chains will be broken, and people will be made free.  He does not want that to happen.

But just as I refuse to be defeated by tech gadgets, I absolutely refuse to be defeated by the enemy.  Not gonna happen.  There's nothing but victories going on over here! Can I get an amen?!

If you find yourself in the middle of battle after battle, and it feels like every time you make a step towards walking in God's will for your life something gets in your way, don't fret.  It's just enemy trying to make you give up on your purpose, because he is afraid of the impact you are going to have on the world.  He knows that because of the anointing on your life, his territory is going to be invaded and destroyed.  You've got him shaking in his boots!  Oh, but don't you dare let his little tricks defeat you.  God has already given you power over the enemy; therefore, he can not win over you unless you allow him to.

Declare today that the enemy will not defeat you in your mind, health, relationships, finances, or your purpose.  Declare and decree that he will not outsmart, or get the best of you, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha

Discover Your Purpose

Happy Wednesday!  I pray that you and your loved ones are well, and you are passionately pursuing God's purpose for your life.

A couple of nights ago, I was watching TBN's Praise the Lord.  On this particular episode, comedian and radio personality, Steve Harvey was the host and keynote speaker.  I watched most of the show, though I fell asleep towards the end of his message.  There was one statement he made that really stuck with me.  He said, "There are two very important days in your life - the day you were born, and the day you discover why."  That was very profound to me, because though we all know the day we were born, many of us never discover why...we never figure out God's purpose for our lives.

When God created each of us, He had a specific purpose in mind for us.  We all have a unique purpose, and no one has the capability to fulfill it besides the one person it was created for.  Sadly, many of us spend our entire lives feeling that our life has no meaning, and there is no plan for us.  I can definitely relate to that feeling.  It was just recently in my late twenties that God began to reveal His plan of purpose for my life. 

Today, I want you to know that God has a special purpose for your life.  However, the only way to discover why you were born is to immerse yourself in the Lord, and ask Him to show you your identity in Him.  By doing so, He will eventually awaken you to your life's purpose.  You were not created just because...you were not a mistake...you are not a cast away.  You were purposely created with a specific purpose in mind.

Seek God for His plan for your life, and once He begins to reveal it to you, pursue it with passion.  You don't have to wonder or ponder whether or not your life has purpose, you simply have to discover it!

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha

Give It To The Lord

Happy Friday!

I just want to share a few words of encouragement today.  I know that life can sometimes throw unexpected curve balls that will hit you in the worst way. But know that even when we may be caught off guard, God is  already ten steps ahead, and has everything all worked out.  He knows the outcome of our situations long before they ever confront us.

He is a God that knows all, sees all, hears all, understands all, and can handle all.  Sure the things we go through are often extremely painful, sometimes it seems like we are going to drown in problems.  But God promises to deliver the righteous out of all of their afflictions. (See Psalms 34:19)

The thing I absolutely love about the Lord is that He cares so much for us that He tells us to cast ALL of our cares upon Him. (See 1 Peter 5:7)  Not some of them; not only the small ones...He said ALL of them.  The ones that keep you up late at night; the ones that make you want to pull your hair out; the ones that seem to diminish your health; the ones that have you crying your eyes out; the ones that appear to have no solution and worries you crazy...He wants those cares.

He's standing there with arms wide open saying "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)  How sweet is that.  Jesus wants to give His children rest, sweet rest.  He doesn't want you to walk around burdened down.  He wants to give you rest, joy, and that peace that surpasses all understanding.  All you've got to do is trust Him...take Him at His word.

He is faithful to perform every promise written in His word.  There are promises of healing, deliverance, peace, restoration, forgiveness, salvation, wholeness...every little thing you need is found in Christ.

Today I encourage you to trust the Sovereign God whose hand is able to hold you and all of your problems and situations.  There is absolutely nothing too hard for Him.  Let go and let God!

Have a great week-end!!

Til we meet again...live, laugh, love!

Peace & Blessings,
Keisha