The Four Letter Word

I love shoes. I love fashion. I love to eat. I love bling-bling and diamonds. I love anything animal print. Love, love, love… all these things I love, not to mention my family, friends, and my sweet little dog Sebastian.

But what is love? Is it just something you feel, or something you say, or maybe a riveting emotion when you see something or someone you like? Can you feel love, taste love, see love, touch love, or hear love?

Love as defined by Merriam-Webster is: a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties: affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.

In an age where sex is glamorized, self-indulgence is accepted as normal, and the sufficiency of money and power motivates people. It’s arduous to understand what love really is.

The Bible has the clearest understandable definition of love. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...” (1Corinthians 13:4-8)

WOW! What a beautiful picture of love. This is the love we all strive for (not only to receive but to give) and desire. Unfortunately our understanding of love has been tainted, warped, and distorted by what we’ve seen or heard, by the way we’ve been treated or what we’ve been told and even by what we've done.

But… the true meaning of love is written out for us in black and white. So take a minute and think about everything you think you know about love and everything you’ve been told… and if it has any negative connotation then honey that’s NOT love. If thinking about love brings up any negative emotions then that’s NOT love either.

First let me say this… Love is an ACTION word! So love is something that you do and not just something that you say. 1Corinthians 13:4-8 describes the fullness of love.

Love is action, not abstraction. Love is patient with people and gracious to them with generosity. Love never envies, or brags, or is arrogant, since that is the opposite of selfless service to others. Never rude or overbearing, love never wants its own way, is not irritated or angered in personal offense, and finds no pleasure in someone else’s sin, even the sin of an enemy. Love is devoted to truth in everything. Love protects, believes, hopes, and endures what others reject. Love outlasts all failures.

I cannot explain away the hate in the world, but I can encourage you to love. Love more, love hard, love unlovable people. Each one, reach one! Keep Calm and DIVA On! #embraceyourdiva #LOVE #loveisanactionword

1Corinthians 13:4-13        1John 4:8

It Starts With You!

Forgiveness I think is one of the most misunderstood words in the English language. It can take a lot to forgive depending on the circumstances and at times people find comfort in holding on to the pain whether than releasing it. Others see forgiveness as a sign of weakness, and some feel as though they are not worthy enough to receive it.

No matter what your disposition is on forgiveness, I hope your perception changes today. Forgiveness starts with YOU!

Just like love is an action word… forgiveness is an action word too. It’s not enough to merely say “Oh I forgive you” but there should be corresponding action behind the word(s).

I feel that being transparent shows you’re a person of integrity but it also creates an environment for people to be comfortable and open. In a world where deception is the new norm, it is a breath of fresh air to come across someone that will just keep it real.

With that said… While in conversation with my husband of eight years, he shared some news with me that rocked me to the core. There was a conundrum of emotions that came over me all at once: devastation, fear, hurt, shock, anger, insecurity, desolation, disbelief, you name it… I felt it! Spending months prior to my husband’s divulgence the Lord had been continually ministering to me on/about forgiveness. I took in all He had to share with me through His word, in prayer, and through other (wise) people. After a while I was like, “ok, Lord what is it? What am I not seeing or understanding?” Well the time would come some months down the road when the need to forgive would arise.

The disclaimer here is that forgiveness or the act of forgiving is not about the other person, but it’s about YOU! There will be times in your life that people who have wronged you won’t even ask you to forgive them, but you must find it within yourself to choose to forgive and be free from the bondage that comes from unforgiveness.

Now I could have been bitter and angry towards my husband and I could have been vengeful, but I chose to love on my husband and I thanked God for the opportunity to take hold and apply all that He had taught/shown me the months prior. Your life ends at the moment you decide not to forgive. Why? Because you will always resort back to what someone did or said that offended you and you will not be a vessel to experience all that God has for you. Forgiveness is a choice you have to make EVERYDAY but there is beauty and benefits in forgiveness. Forgiving brings blessings to you. Forgiving others paves the way for you to be forgiven. Forgiving allows you to forget and move forward. Forgiving frees you to worship God with your whole heart. Forgiving proves that you are kind and tenderhearted. Forgiving makes you Christ like. Forgiving is the way you pursue peace and keep from becoming bitter.

Without forgiveness we remain tethered to the person who harmed us. We are bound with chains of bitterness, tied together, trapped. Until we forgive the person who harmed us, that person will hold the keys to our happiness; that person will be our jailor. When we forgive, we take back control of our feelings. We become (ALWAYS with God) our own liberators. We don’t forgive to help the other person. We don’t forgive for others. We forgive for ourselves.

I want to experience all God has for me and I want you to experience all that God has for you too. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”(Mark 11:25 NKJV) I pray that you take a step towards forgiving others and forgiving yourself. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it. Keep Calm and DIVA On! 

Thank you Lord that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and therefore I have the strength to forgive others for anything that has disappointed or hurt me. Thank You that You are the God of forgiveness. Thank You for Your mercy and grace towards me. Thank You that You have released me from any stronghold of unforgiveness. Take away any feelings in me that cause me to think I need to pay back hurt for hurt. I “strive to have a conscience without offense” toward others (Acts 24:16) When I need to be forgiven, help me to apologize and receive forgiveness. Where there are places in me that harbor unforgiveness that I am not even aware of, please reveal to me so I can confess them to You. I know that “You, Lord are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5). I call upon You this day and ask You to forgive for any unforgiveness I have toward anyone. I know that You, Lord, are the only one who knows the whole story, so I refuse to be the judge of all that happens in my life. You are the one “who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart.” (1 Corinthians 4:5) Break any entrenched unforgiveness in me by the power of Your Spirit. Help me to love the way You do, so I can release all unforgiveness and be cleansed from all unrighteousness in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

Surrender!

Surrender..... Let's really take a moment to think on what that means... What that looks like in our life... Have we truly embraced and embodied the meaning?

Surrender is defined as: to yield to the power, control, or possession of another; to give up completely; to give over to something. So by studying the definition of surrender, it is safe to say that in surrendering you are relinquishing all control. WHOA! Wait a minute... you mean yielding all control and power over to someone else? Letting go of what you want and how you think things should be, and giving up control of situations and decisions. Surrendering is a crucial move in positioning yourself to be available to all that God has for you and your life. The reward is that who you are surrendering to can take care of any and everything better than you can or could even imagine.

Understanding that God has a plan for your life and surrendering to Him means that you set aside your own plans and agenda and eagerly seek His.

Now that you understand the concept of surrendering here comes the challenge.... "self-examination!"

Well what does that mean and what does that have to do with surrendering? It has EVERYTHING to do with surrendering. How can you relinquish control, still trying to be in control? Take an honest, transparent assessment of those things, habits, situations, relationships, and behaviors that have been impeding your process towards progress. "Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23 NKJV) Self-examination brings forth self-denial and the reality of "not my will but Your will be done!"

Accept the challenge.... Surrender ALL to Christ! Pick up the compact, put your smartphone in selfie mode, get in front of the mirror and ask yourself "what do I need to lay aside, or what area of my life haven't I given God complete control over?" I gurantee as you lay those things down and surrender to Christ you will experience freedom, healing, and deliverance like never before. It's all love beautiful and know the word is first to me, so I'm not suggesting anything that I haven't already done myself. Transparency is the first step towards accountability. 

My prayer for you today is that the Lord speak to you and reveal those things in your life that you have not given Him total control over, and that you yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit. God loves you and withholds no good thing from you. "The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Pslam 84:11 NKJV) But in this relationship you must completely trust Him! Keep Calm and DIVA on! #embraceyourdiva #acceptthechallenge

Letting Go of the Past

Letting go of the past.... It seems so much easier said than done, but it is MANDATORY if you want to advance pass where you are now. It is a mindset change that needs to be put into action to receive/achieve results. But holding on to the past becomes like "comfort food" you know you shouldn't have it but you don't have the strength to resist it. Here you are waiting on God to move, and He is waiting on you to drop your "baggage" so you can embrace Him with both arms. It's like a tug of war. God is holding you by one arm and your past is holding your other arm. But who will you let win the battle?

I know you have experienced loss, maybe of a relationship or a loved one. Pain of a miscarriage or health diagnosis. The betrayal of a friend, the broken trust of a confidant. The list can go on and on, and I don't want to disregard any of the emotions that accompany these situations or circumstances. But how has holding on to it brought joy or peace into your life? We must let go of fear! Fear that tells us that we just need to accept it. Fear that shames us to face the past over and over again. Of fear that won't allow us to trust God totally and completely.

Think of Lot's wife in Genesis chapter 19. "When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”... "But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Genesis 19:15-17, 26 NKJV)

What a price to pay for disobedience. The instructions were clear "do no look behind you." You past is just that.... your past. Past means: gone by in time and no longer existing, done, olden, long ago. Holding on to the past will impede your future progress. Take heed to the word of God and do not allow anyone (including yourself) to keep you in bondage of the past but LET IT GO! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2Corinthians 5:17 NKJV) If God says old things have passed away, then why are you holding onto past hurts, circumstances, pain, emotions, failures, or words as though they are brand new?

Letting go of the past starts with YOU! The price you will pay for holding on is NOT worth it. Take it day by day and lay those things down that have you bound, and when you release yourself from the past... do not look behind you! What God has ahead for you is so much better than what is behind you. Keep Calm and DIVA on!

Not Easily Broken

The busyness of life and the demand on our time can become overwhelming at times. The trials that meet us it seems as soon as our feet hit the floor in the morning, and sometimes greet us at the door in the evening. Can leave us asking the Lord "why?" But we cannot allow ourselves to be easily distracted by what will keep us putting more time and energy into the problem instead of focusing on the solution. I know as a woman your daily roles are selfless and unending. You wear many hats, but have only ONE head. Trust and believe that God has equipped and strengthen you to take on all that you encounter day to day.

Your fortitude and surrender to the Lord is what upholds you to not be easily broken. So you are NOT simply defeated, you are NOT effortlessly discouraged, and you are NOT skillfully crushed. But YOU ARE a woman of value, of purpose, and of courage! 

There is nothing wrong with encouraging yourself. You need to say it out of your mouth, so that you can hear it in the atmosphere, and receive it in your heart. Your words have power... and they can either create or destroy. "But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 20-21 NKJV) You are the Lord's beloved and He desires for you to build yourself up through your faith and in prayer. If you pray God's word about anything "especially concerning yourself" His word will never return void but it accomplishes! So that is a return with a promise. So you are not easily broken, you are not broken at all! YOU ARE a strong, beautiful woman of God moving in the purpose that He has for you. Keep Calm and DIVA on!