New Content Coming Soon

Hello to all! I have been amazingly busy these past several weeks. The Lord has really kept me moving and shaking things up!

I have started to do more freelance writing and have clients scattered across the globe. They have kept me pretty busy. Along with them, I have some young people that I have been working with on mentoring and they have kept me on my toes. Not that I am complaining...they are a delight to work beside as they discover His love and plans for their lives. I remember being that young (fresh out of high school) and not having an idea as to where He would lead me. How lost I felt! 

Now I am content to be walking the path He set my feet upon and am learning so much about myself, the Lord and the people He has placed in front of me. My prayer time is filled and I am finding my alone time with the Lord to be more fulfilling as I give up my control over matters. He is the one in control of my life and He will direct me. It took me almost 15 years to figure that one out!

I will soon be writing again for this blog and it is my hope that all who read it are uplifted and encouraged by my words and the things the Lord is doing through me. 

God's blessings and protection on all of you!
Rev. Michelle

No Exceptions!

“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:43

This is an all-encompassing promise that the prophets have declared is for everyone. How great is that? All you have to do is believe in Him and your sins are forgiven. Could it be any simpler? Jesus died on the cross at Calvary for you and I and he conquered death for you and me. To receive forgiveness for your transgressions is a marvelous gift. There is a downfall however and that can be found in Matthew 6:14-15 “for if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Forgiveness is there for the taking, however we must so our part and confess our sins and forgive those who have sinned against us.

One of my students had a quarrel with her best friend and swore she would never forgive her friend for the betrayal she felt. After praying with her and going through Scriptures, she felt that she needed to talk it out with her friend. Once communication was open, forgiveness soon followed and the friendship -- while unsteady at times -- did survive. That is all it takes with the Lord. Open up to Him, talk to Him in earnest, and ask Him to cover you in forgiveness. He is there, waiting.

With Christ

“You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.” Psalm 85:2

This is a promise that is so intense I have a difficult time accepting it. I have a brother and a sister who turned against me and portrayed such evilness in their words and actions. Other family members, me included, were deeply wounded by both their words and actions. The Lord states in Matthew 6:14-15 “for if you do not forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” I know that in order for my heavenly Father to forgive my sins as I confess them to Him, I must not withhold forgiveness.

After the situation with my brother and sister this really tested my faith. I spent so much time in prayer and finally came to a place in my spiritual walk where I could forgive them. I still have no contact with them for although I have forgiven them, they remain unrepentant of their words and actions.

I know as I go to the Lord in prayer that He has blessed me. I have obeyed His command and offered within my heart forgiveness to those who have greatly offended me. My God will hold me up as I walk and will wipe my slate clean of my sins which I have confessed to Him.

Blessed by Forgiveness

“I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

Sin is sin, we are taught this in Sunday school and Bible studies, ministers preach it from the pulpit. Yes, it is true that sin is against God and He encourages us to confess our sins. Our Lord sent His son to die a horrific death in our place, giving us the gift of eternal life through confessing our sins. The ultimate sacrifice became the ultimate gift!

I never considered myself wicked, a little off track definitely but surely not wicked! The first time I read Hebrews 8:12 I was certain it did not apply to me. One of my good friends who I love argue with about the Scriptures explained to me that wickedness referred to the sin that was committed, not the actual person. A person can be living a Godly life yet will gossip about the man in the moon, gossip is considered a sin and is therefore wicked. But fear not, the Lord promises that if you come to Him and confess your sins (and turn away from the sin), those sins will be forgiven and erased.

When I was teaching my daughter this concept I took a small dry erase board and wrote down a list of sins that she had committed that day – lying, cheating on a test, disrespectful. I left them written on the board for the rest of the day and moved the board from room to room with her so she had to look at the list all day long. The next day I explained that Jesus had died for her and that He washed away her sins, but that in order for her sins to be washed away she needed to confess them to the Lord and repent or apologize. As she said each sin – lying, cheating, disrespect – I took an eraser and erased that sin from the board until the board was wiped clean. It is that easy, yet it is one of the hardest things we have to do.

Deliver Me

“He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.” Psalm 72:12

A few months ago, I felt everything unraveling and felt helpless. I was overwhelmed at work, felt lacking as a mother, and felt completely lonely and exhausted. One morning, I was sitting at my kitchen table, picking at my breakfast—soggy Cheerios—when a switch was flipped in my brain. I went into my bedroom and began a time of prayer.

After about an hour of prayer, the Lord gave me Psalm 72:12. I was completely convicted! I had forgotten the promise the Lord had made. He is there for me, to lift me and carry me through my trials. I needed to be reminded that even though I felt overwhelmed by my students, all I needed to do was call out to the Lord, and He would be there. My exhaustion and loneliness stemmed from essentially cutting myself off from the Lord and forgetting His promise.

I spent several days in serious prayer, I petitioned the Lord to stay by my side and keep prodding me to open up to Him. It did take a few weeks of going to the Lord every day and getting back into the habit of laying my fears and insecurities at the cross before the heavy clouds stifling my heart began to dissipate. Now, while I still have doubts and insecurities and students who drive me insane, I know that the Lord is with me and I just need to remember to cry out to Him when I need help and peace within my soul.

First Things First

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

How many times have you worried that telling someone the truth or being completely honest with someone would just hurt their feelings too much so you have to tip-toe around the truth to soften it for them. Being nice rather than being honest has become the norm in society but the Lord teaches us that we should take a first-things-first approach. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” By first going to the Lord and becoming more Christ-like we are seeking His kingdom and His promises. Jesus during His time upon the Earth did not soften his words when someone was seeking the truth. He delivered the hard truth even when those did not want to hear it. How refreshing that would be to ask a question and know that you are going to get the absolute truth, no sugar-coating, no half-truths, but the complete unbiased truth. Of course our feelings would be hurt from time to time but true friendships are built on truth and when it is spoken in love we can learn and grow from it.

When we align ourselves with the Lord and seek Him in all we do He promises to take care of us, walk beside us and never forsake us. That is an amazing promise and for us, being of Earthly flesh, it is a little far-fetched to believe. Someone to always speak the truth to us and never leave our side no matter what we have done or how far we pull away is an idyllic myth and so foreign to what we know.

Growing up I had a sister who was a complete narcissist, everything had to revolve around her and when it did not anyone in her path paid dearly for her unhappiness. She never sought the truth; she desperately wanted you to sugar-coat the truth so it made her look good. When she would ask me if she was a good sister, I would have to say that she was or she would get vicious. I bear a slight scar on my face from telling her that she was a selfish person. She is still the same way today – four children and fifty pounds later. Watching her children when they were younger I saw the unhappiness they felt at having to compete with their mother’s ego for attention and affection. Her love was always conditional, still is to this day. Now that I am an adult and able to see her clearly, I understand that she always put herself above anyone else; her husband, her children and even the Lord. In her quest for self-love and self-satisfaction she became a very jealous and unhappy person. Having her as a role model growing up – every little sister looks up to their big sister – I had the hardest time believing that Jesus sacrificed His life for my sins. There had to be some kind of ulterior motive, and there was; but it was a motive that benefited me not Him. God loved His people so deeply that He sacrificed His son to a horrific death so that we had the ability to draw closer to God. What a love that must be!  Once I figured out that the Lord wanted me to seek Him and His word before all else, I understood the unhappiness that my sister felt. She put herself before the Lord – her wants and needs were her first priority, not her relationship with her Lord.

I have in the past several years since my daughter’s birth taken my wants and needs out of the equation and focused on my relationship with my Lord first and my relationship with my daughter second, all else in my life comes after and I know that He is here with me as He promises in Matthew 6:33. By focusing on Him, He is there to pick me up and carry me if need be. He promised to be there and provide for me but He did warn of trials and tribulations in this life. My true reward will come after my journey has ended in this life.

Refreshment, Anyone?

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25

I had a good friend tell me one time that she had no clue how I did all the things I did and not be overwhelmed. I sat back and thought about what she had said. To me, this life – all my activities and chores; even my past excursions – have made me who I am today. I have been doing these things for so long, having daily routines that cover a myriad of activities so that I do not feel overwhelmed or weary. I liken myself to the farmer who rises every morning at 4:00 a.m. to tend his farm. Although I admit to not ever-rising at 4:00 a.m. I do have a set time for doing things and all that I do, I enjoy and am at peace.

One of my other good friends told me she thought I was amazing because of all I do. I do not feel amazing, in fact, I feel wonderfully ordinary. When I was younger I was always told that it was my responsibility to become someone extraordinary and forge a path for others to follow. Where this path might lead I had no idea. Most of those expectations melted away when I became pregnant just like an ordinary young woman acting out. As I matured, I found a wonderful new hobby – people-watching. There is nothing more entertaining to me than to sit in the local mall's food court and watch people rush here and there through the corridor of shops. You learn a lot about people that way. But now I have wandered off-topic.

Back to refreshing the weary and satisfying the faint; what an amazing promise! Even though my daily life is routine to me, there are still times when I become so tired – when my daughter turns into a stubborn mule and we butt heads all day long; or when a puppy is feeling under the weather and I am up and down with her for several nights straight. Being weary can drag on my immune system and after a time I start to feel the effects. I am getting much better at going to the cross as soon as the first signs of weariness set in. I used to tell myself I could handle it, I did not need to bother the Lord with every little thing. As I have grown in my faith and become more comfortable in my place with Christ I have discovered that He encourages us to come to Him with all trials and worries no matter how trivial.

Psalm 55:22 says just that, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” (NIV) When weariness starts to take over, everyone in my household knows. No matter what I am doing, if I start to feel weighed down I will put my praise and worship music on and start singing and dancing; usually Zumba-inspired dance since starting a new workout regimen. My students are starting to realize I am not ignoring them when I pop an earbud in and go into my own zone for about five minutes. My mp3 player has a mix of music on it but my favorite playlist is my praise and worship music. It revives my soul and gives me the energy to keep going. Through His word and music that praises Him, I am renewed. His promise is fulfilled every time I ask for Him to help me and take care of me.