Red Sea Situations

I found a certain ‘release in life’ when I found my voice.

What keeps us from saying things we really want to say? Well, oftentimes we may feel less than or we feel imperfect. We feel like no one really wants to hear what we have to say, anyway – so we don’t say it. Sometimes we are really afraid to say what we want so say also for fear of rejection or how others may challenge us. Sometimes we lose our voices because we wind up in situations where we seem to be drowning, and the best place to go is to “go numb.”

Well…let me say this… sometimes what we have to say may influence or help someone else to change the world.

Words are powerful. God framed the world with them. Take a moment to think about that: this world was actually framed with words! That’s pretty powerful to thin -k that the things which we admire and see daily – people, places, nature – (the seven wonders of the world)- animals, the sun and the clouds … were all formed with words!

I have always known I had a voice… but would rarely use it. Let me explain: I grew up learning that you don’t tell everything, because others may find out then you will be embarrassed. And I had had enough embarrassment in life, not to want any more of it. I learned early on that when I spoke up, I may not be received, and so I would refrain… for a time. I also thought people might not believe me. Of course, this was deeply rooted in the messages I had received growing up. Not that any one person taught them to me… but I learned that great challenge would come with having an opinion. And at a certain time in my life, I avoided challenges.

Another piece of this dynamic is the ‘oppressive space’ that silence provides. Silence… I have learned just from living a while… kills one’s personality. For years, I quietly kept silent with my voice and it cost me years of suffering. It caused my personality to not flourish and several of my hopes and dreams to be put aside. Even though I sat silently, my spirit was not silent. I as able to find myself and my true identity, through my writing. I have been journaling now for maybe 31 years. Recently, I picked up a diary I wrote in when I was about nine years old. My passion was definitely evident in my writing! I was very surprised my voice and my passions were so profound!

I encourage you today; don’t let your dreams be hindered by silence. If you or your child has something to say: post it on a wall, a newspaper… (or the refrigerator). You can even create your own newsletter project with your child… for the word to see! Teach them to express their opinion, and if they don’t know how they feel about something .. challenge them to formulate an opinion. This a great time to influence them with your family values. It will stay with them a very long time. And it may even safe them from a lifetime of hurts and unfortunate consequences.

I remember how it felt when I was fifteen years old to be “Writer of the Week” in my ninth grade English class… I was acclaimed an “awesome writer”… I won a prize, my writing entry was posted in our school magazine, and my picture was up for a week in the Writer’s Hall of Fame. I felt famous! I doubt if that hadn’t happened, I would be sincerely aspiring to write a book today.

That is, until I learned that having a voice, meant that you could change someone’s mind, their attitude, and shift their thoughts, if you only spoke up about what you believed. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn this until I was about 35 years old. I learned this in a very supportive, open-minded and promising environment that encouraged and nurtured my leadership. An organization called: (The National Coalition Building Institute.) In this same forum, I did not know I would also meet my future husband. And gladly so …, because he has helped continue to form and shape my identity and adult life.

Once this skill was taught to me… I flourished! I didn’t settle for less anymore, I realized some people felt the same way as me, just never had the courage to say it. I also realized that the youth I worked with in school as a school social worker – flourished as well, because their having an opinion and having that opinion validated, made them feel important. I have learned in working with children, that children need affirmation and validation. They need to be encouraged and told that what he have to say is important, and they need to think about how the words they say will affect others. Some of the children I helped encourage in my small groups with exercises on leadership – began to walk a little straighter, smile a bit more, and speak up and say what they felt and their futures began to look a bit brighter. This experience definitely increased their self esteem as well.

I suppose I wrote this today to encourage you to help you, or your children find their passion. I have worked with children who have pent up feelings, and have never learned to express or communicate how they feel.  I tell you,…They are an accident waiting to happen.

Finding your voice can help you and your children find resolve. ‘Resolve’ is an excellent feeling to have. It affirms our choices, makes us more confident, helps us to know and understand ourselves, and trust ourselves more.

What are you teaching your children today about speaking up and finding their voice?

So…if your child gets angry, upset about something that happens with a friend, or even in school or with someone close to them… have them write it down, journal, communicate or draw a picture about it. Help them to express their feelings. At the heart of every passion is a feeling. Help them find something they really care about, study it, take a stance on it – and express how they feel – and then encourage others to think the same. And as a parent you can model this behavior so they learn how to express and deal with their feelings, as well. Talk to your children about problem-solving, who you talk to when you feel down, and tell they why you share with the people you do. Children need help discerning who they can trust and how to share and express emotion. If they don’t learn from their parents, who will they learn from? Help them find a place where they can be encouraged to express their mind, thoughts and opinions in a safe non-threatening environment. Create a climate where they can find truth.

This was taken from my family based site – Kingdom Based Parenting ~ www.kingdombasedparenting.ning.com
Further resources:
Affirming their voices – why it’s important…
http://www.kidzruleusa.com/files/34590792.pdf

I Corinthians 9:24-27

“ Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

This blog was untitled.  I didn’t have a name for it until I got to the last sentence, because I really didn’t have much to say. Sometimes I just look back to go forward. I just wanted to share a picture of me when I was going through a Red Sea experience. This was a tremendously tough time in my life, but notice… there was no evidence I was ‘majorly’ going through.  I had just moved from Syracuse. NY to Gaithersburg, Maryland. I also had just come back from South Africa the year, prior. I needed ‘new definition’.

I decided during this time of transition to do something quite RADICAL.  That was to switch my hairstyle from perms to natural. Though risky, it began a wave of  ”radical feats with me”,  because it was a “tremendously freeing” moment  for me.  I am so, so grateful for the experience. I have  decided from that moment in time, doing something so radical helped me to embrace the moment. In essence, I CHANGED WITH THE MOMENT. My hair is a daily and constant reminder of  my moment of freedom. I am glad it’s with me. It reminds me of my faith.

 Sometimes we don’t really notice when when we are embracing a moment. I was VERY aware – at all times whether I was resistant, or if I was just bearing up and under to “just endure.”

 Take some time…Embrace the Moment. No matter how painful, hard or enduring…It might just do you some good!

Acquiesce. It means to yield without protest. A lot said in one small word, huh?  I know.

I have struggled unknowingly with this concept for several years. I have been known to be a perfectionist  in my latter days. I am much better, now. Thank God. Perfectionists find it very hard to yield. Yielding… has become a way of life for the person who has learned to acquiesce.

Why yield,  you ask…? Well.. yielding allows you to make room for understanding. If you make room for a spirit of understanding, you make way for a heart that is open to being molded and guided in the direction of God’s plans. When tossed about and treated unfairly in the past and even now in the present, I don’t dwell on what’s being done wrong tpwards me. I ask God instead: Why does this person feel this way? Or.. why are they so confused about my actions?

I  have been in some places where yielding may have actually saved my life. Everything…and I do mean everything, used to be a protest. If I didn’t like it, I would say something. If I didn’t get it, I would tell someone why I thought I deserved it. It was haughtiness, for sure.  Some , may call it arrogance. I called it wanting what I wanted. When I didn’t get it, I would protest. To God, man , friends, family – whomever… and then, I’d have a pity party because I felt sorry for myself. But the Bible says in Proverbs 16:17-18 “…he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Pride cometh before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.” I am committed to “keeping my way“. Even when I don’t know or trust where (my way) is going.

How about you?

Another definition  of acquiesce means: to agree with reluctance. Reluctance to me, was a VERY big word.  What are we usually reluctant about? When things don’t go our way, when we feel slighted, when we feel we aren’t heard, validated or we are ignored. Interesting…yes.. although we hate to admit it, choosing to acquiesce may mean you make room for a humbled heart.

An acquiescent nature can  be very accommodating, affirming, supportive or just plain grateful.  Throw in a bit of humility and graciousness to the picture and you will have a spirit of cooperation. Who wouldn’t want suchskill added to our relationships? Sadly enough, we tend to see  less and less of these gestures in our every day lives.

I look at these words (above) and I think about God’s mercy towards me. I really messed up this past week with something bad. But God is so loving with me, He simply desired I repent and once I was back in right standing with Him and addressed the issue at hand with humility, I was fine. Jehovah Tsidkenu is His name. The Lord our Righteousness. I even had my peace of mind back. Quickly. I am continually praying for God’s grace and mercy to follow me~ all the days of my life. Without it, I am not able to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s intervention when it’s needed. Having  the Holy Spirit’s involvement in your day to day affairs can mean the difference between relationships healed, mended, forgiven and renewed – or living life full of misery fear, and desperation.

Trust God, today- and in the spirit of being obligated towards God to think on pure things ( Phil. 4:8) , pledge to God today that you will be committed to His will, His ways and His word. Acquiesce.  Let God show you how submission can be a crown on your head and His peace –  a jewel on your crown. In His Light, you will begin to feel more efficient  and sufficient than you have ever known.

Job 29:14
“I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.”

Good morning! ~ Just to preface this “spoken word” piece~ I created this morning -  I wanted to share it, because I believe we are in this spiritual season in our lives where we are struggling because we won’t – “Let God be God”. God has every right to claim His own.  When we resist His purpose for our lives, we don’t make room for miracles. Selah.

Let God Be God

God has a place in us where we need to be Released.

In order for God to be there, in that space and for us to be fully submitted–

To His plan for ‘Release’ – we need to trust in the beauty and the peace that His plan can bring to our hearts,

Our minds

…and our souls.

God wants “to be” in that space.

You know, the one where we struggle and we resist and we “don’t want to” conform. But God IS…

God is Great.

God is Hope.

God is Safe.

God is Peace.

God is Trust.

God is Love.

And everything God is … We can depend on.

We just need to ‘Let God be God’ in our lives.

When we refuse to ‘Let God be God’, we fail.

Failure looks different in our eyes when God is involved. Because  even though God allows a “perceived failure” to exist, He really is bringing you into a large place, in Him.

When we refuse to ‘Let God be God’, we don’t trust.

We have to trust God for good. Because Good becomes relative to where we know…WE NEED TO GROW.

And if “good” looks like growth, then we need to acquiesce, and “Let God be God”.

Because growth is good, and God is good.

When we refuse to “Let God be God”, we fight.

And fighting is not always loud and belligerent. Fighting can be strong and stubborn, and silent.

And fighting can be intrusive and stern and cold. Within.

When we refuse to “Let God be God”, we mourn.

We hold onto our pain. We sink deeply into it. In fact – we do not

Allow ourselves TO FEEL.

For real.

Feelings become pretentious hopes and plans and false reasonings that cause us to give up God’s dreams and we become barren…. unable to conceive.

When we refuse to “Let God be God”…We hinder.

And we cannot ‘be’ helped, and we cannot receive help.

We mimic and converse with the (words) people “think” we should say -

And our thoughts become confused because we aren’t being true.

True to ourselves…

And True to God.

So Let God be God today… if only for one season, one hour, one moment in your life that might bring forth your destiny, and cause you to “be” ~ what He made you to be  – and KNEW you to be – even before you were –

YOU.

Let God be God today.

Have you asked yourself this question today?

Sometimes we forget about us. Sometimes we just forget we have needs, period. And because God has given us breath to breathe and life to live, we must remember, we should cultivate our living so we can continue to exist with peace.

I was contemplating on this when I awakened today. I simply asked myself: “What do I need?” I came up with at least five things I needed. I hope to get two of them met, today, at least two. And the rest by the end of the week.

Here’s my list~ I thought I might share it with you:

• I need a refuge.

• I need a friend to talk to, and just shoot the breeze with. Not plan, not think deeply, but maybe just to say hi to.

• I need exercise. (My body craves for it.)

• I need a really good word from God.

• I need prayer.

• Oh! …and one more… I need to go at my own pace. (I need to not be rushed, today.)

So tonight, I am going to Bible study, I am going to drop someone off where they need to be, because I cannot be there any earlier than they need to be there. ( Then…I will come back and take care of myself…); I will pray and find refuge in God, and by the end of the week, I will get away to a library or find a nook at Starbucks, sip on some tea, and just relax. Oh, …and I will go to the gym and maybe even get in the Jacuzzi. (smile)

I believe every day, if we woke up and asked ourselves what we needed; and developed a plan about how to get it -  we may not struggle as much as we do. If we only tried to stop, look, and listen to our body, our mind, and our spirit and adhere to what it informed us, we may be a lot better off. For me, being someone who constantly takes care of the needs of others; I often forget about me.

I teach a class with young ladies and we discuss meeting our personal needs  in five areas:

1. Our emotional needs - the places where we need to feel safe, affirmed, secure and supported.

2. Our spiritual needs – the place where we need to find refuge in God.

3. Our physical needs – the place where we find bodily relief from stress and physical agility.

4. Our mental health needs – the place where we consider and practice good choices and follow our values.

5. Our social needs – the place where we have fun and have acceptable and welcomed companionship.

Time to practice what I preach, huh?

Just a reminder…Take the time today, to TAKE CARE OF YOU. You’re definitely worth it.

Here’s a wonderful website to keep you keep on the self-conscious path:

http://counseling4christians.com/Scriptures/wisdom.htm

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away…For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” I Corinthians 13:9, 10, 12

I love word play. Apparently, God does, too. One day in 2005, when I was going through my Red Sea experience, and just before I opened my eyes, I heard the Spirit speak one word to my soul. It was the first word on my mind when I awakened. It wasn’t in a sentence, nor a thought I even owned, because I was still very sleepy.  It was just one word, and it seemed as if the word just sat in my mind awaiting exploration. As if it expected a response. I surmised God had placed it there, and began to reach for my dictionary to explore the thought life of being SET, to determine whether God’s voice was speaking.

SET means to cause to sit. It also means: to “cause to be”; or “to set a wheel on an axle.” Or… to put in the proper of designated place. Now, this one, I could truly relate to, because I was seeking great purpose in this season of my life.

Actually, I felt as if my life began to take speed from that moment on. It feels as if I was on a journey some place I had never been. I refer to it as my ‘threshold experience’. I really don’t believe God always speaks to us very clearly to let us know what’s going on in our lives, but I do believe God shares in part. The scripture above is a perfect example of how He reveals Himself unto us. Looking back on this situation, almost five years ago, I see now that God as commanding my spirit to obey. God spoke to a very dry place in my life. Avery dry place. By that, I mean I got thirsty. He really wanted me to begin to position myself for greatness. I have literally been on a five year journey with God. My career has changed distinctly, but it has also taken amazing form. I have the freedom to write daily and produce a few projects I know I have been called to do. I didn’t expect this surprise. Yet I knew God wanted more from my life, and part of the way He commanded me to obey was to command my attention through a series of events I call Red Sea Situations.

Today…I feel seated. I feel seated in heavenly places. I have had such opportunity in the past 6 years alone, it has been amazing. These years have not been uneventful, nor easy. In fact, I have had so many changes, the experiences seemed to have changed my physical, spiritual and mental and psychological makeup. Although the experiences have been awesome, extremely frightening, yet daring, they would have been impossible to experience without God’s grace.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, because SET also means to arrange -  (specifically to fix); or to cause to become. (Check,… i feel as if I am being fixed.) To adjust - or to be in a desired position for USE – or regulation; to place oneself in  readiness for action; to arrange (a table) with knives, plates, etc. (for a meal). And yes…I feel as if I having been eating, one of the most immensely long, intriguing, yet enjoyable;  unpleasant meals of my life! I feel as if I have not only “gained ground” but assumed position. Yet these experiences and my recent move to Texas has become a launching pad for my future.

Well, I am smiling .. because I won’t bore you with the over 40 definitions I found for the word ‘set’ but let me tell you one more thing. I found in the word, an interesting term: ‘coterie’ – this word is awesome in its find, because it reminds  me of one of the sisterhood circles I desire to create. Coterie means : A small, often select group of persons who associate with one another frequently. I also find quite interesting the notion of ‘tribes’. I believe kinship circles exist in many forms. One of them, was born just last week. (The interesting thing is… maybe half the words in this one word : set – appear to be the venue for this manifestation of this ‘coterie’, created just last week! (The vision amazingly connects to what God gave me when He woke me up one fall morning in 2005 and shared this word with me.)

Oh.. one more definition of the word “SET” ( just one!) I promise!

Vitality – the power to live or grow.

Hmm… It is quite possible God can “ SET ” things up for you in your Red Sea Situation.

Bring you more power to live, or better yet… even to grow. What a concept!  Can you imagine?

There’s a song my church sings often that makes me think about Heaven.

It sings: “Be seated in Heavenly places! It’s like heaven… heaven on earth, …to be walking in His favor and Grace is- just like heaven, heaven on earth!

I took this snowy picture this morning, as I walked outside in the snow. I was like an excited kid, praising God and wiping the snow off my windshield. I know everyone doesn’t agree,.. but when you live in Texas, and nine months out of the year is HOT… you have to smile sometimes when you see a change!

Take your righteous place with God the Father and cooperate with His Son, and be seated in a heavenly place! Have you ever walked into a situation and have just been grateful to be there?  Have you – felt like a King or Queen…just because…? Smiled inside just because someone thought of you as if you were special?  I have felt like that in some places that I will never forget.    I felt like that walking this morning~ as if I were really special. Other special places have been  found in hearing my mom’s voice agree with me in a dark places in my life; or experiencing  my dad’s embrace when I had just been heartbroken;  sitting in a beach in Daytona Beach Florida looking out into the ocean; walking down the street in Johannesburg S.A.  and noticing I was a majority, seeing a smiling newborn and holding its precious life in your hands; taking a class about entrepreneurism &  expanding my vision for reaching the masses; speaking to children about their destiny and the legacy they could leave behind; my gracious and compelling workwith children in a school in Syracuse NY –  as well as one in Kuma, South Africa. Life is so much more special with Jesus. I appreciate all the places where He seats me, both big and small.

God wants to do that for you. He wants to give you a special place in His kingdom, and it requires faith, in order to see what HE sees and to appreciate the journey as you strive to get there.

“…But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:4-7 (American Standard Version)

Here’s the song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVbbUgJNLHM