What I Love About Sunday

Last Sunday was my ideal perfect sabbath day. It was the combination of the weekend and a snow day. We got so much snow that church was canceled. It was just too dangerous for people to get out. Although I couldnt worship God with my church family, this particular situation allowed me to have a more intimate worship instead.

My ladies Bible Study group had been learning what it truly means to “Be still and know” that He is God. We learned that being still doesn’t mean to do nothing. It simply means to slow down and take notice. It means to be more intentional about your relationship with God. To lean in, to observe, to have open communication, and then to move forward with clarity and understanding. So, this snowy Sunday gave me the perfect opportunity to slow down, lean in to time with God, to observe and think about the things I had heard and seen that were signs of confirmation. It gave me time to  be in deep solitude and prayer so that I could hear from God. And He filled me the clarity and understanding that I had been desperately seeking.

Up until this day, I had been burning my candle at both ends. My schedule was so full and I was trying to squeeze more in. It occurred to me that my life was simply too full to work on my dreams. And yet, my social media was flooded with influencers saying that if we really want it then we have to work on it when we’re not working our 9-5. So I kept trying. But my reality was that there simply is no extra time. And when there is extra time I have no extra energy. But on this day, God asked me “What do YOU really want”? My first response was “God, you already know, I’ve asked for it thousands of times before”. But He asked again “What do YOU really want?”

Me: This is what I want.                                         God: Are you sure?                                           Me: Is it not? Should I not want this?                  God: Remember when you asked me to take away your desires for things that were not from me?                                                                  Me:yes.                                                                     God: Is this chasing and striving and stressing what you really want, or is it what someone else told you to want?                                             Me: …                                                                         God: This world is deceiving and Satan has a way of making the wrong things sound good and right.                                                                

So I took out my notebook and began to describe the future life that I really want. Its almost the opposite of what I thought I wanted. I began to think about where and how the other dream originated and how I got so caught up in the chaos of chasing it down. I also began to see the stress and harm that I had done to my husband and kids while selfishly pursuing a dream that wasn’t even mine. Lost time. I had wasted so much time, energy, and money on this dream. I was surrounded by people who pushed me to go after it harder and faster. And yet, there was God the whole time, asking me to slow down and take a moment to consider who’s dream I was really chasing. Who’s dream was I sacrificing for? And was it worth it. But on this snowy Sunday, when church was canceled, I was able to hear God and answer His call to slow down and be still with Him for a moment.

Today, I have more peace than I have had in a long time. There was a war going on inside of me and it has finally ended. I know what I want and I know that my heavenly Father will provide. I do not need to stress or worry. I just know.

I hope that you all find some time during this Christmas season to slow down and be still with our heavenly Father. Take an intentional “sabbath”, you need it more than you think. May you all be truly blessed!💜

Have you ever found yourself in a unique position that led to a chance at an opportunity you’d been hoping for? Recently I have found myself in such a position. This is an ideal opportunity, however, I am not sure its for me. I am trying not to get my hopes up. But every time I think about it, I get excited. I also get scared. This particular opportunity comes with huge responsibility and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. There is time for preparation. I want to take advantage of the preparation time in hopes that this opportunity is for me. No one has specifically presented this opportunity to me and this is why I am not sure its for me.

So, what should we do in this unique position? Do we simply hope, wish, and pray that God makes a way? Yes, of course we do these things, but we must also prepare as if its already ours. God asks us to do more than just talk about our faith, we must also walk out our faith. God didn’t just ask Abraham if he would sacrifice his son Isaac. Instead he led Abraham to prove that he was willing to do God’s will, even when he didn’t understand it. Jesus didn’t just ask the lame man if he wanted to be healed, He also told the man to get up and walk. We can pray all day long, but until we open our eyes to see the blessing before us, we will never truly believe that our prayers are answered. When we pray, we should do so, as though we know that God is already working on it. Writing this has helped me to see that maybe this really is for me. I have been praying for it, and I’ve obediently walked the path that has led me here. Now I need to trust God enough, to prepare as though its already mine.

I think a part of me is afraid to really believe that 1.) God has chosen me for this. 2.) That I am capable of this. 

How could I think so highly of myself to be worthy of this opportunity? I don’t trust myself. I know that God has been working on me in this area and there is time. Thank God for time!

I also realize that this time of preparation will bless others and so even if it doesn’t turn out the way that I hope for, the time will not be wasted.

May this bless someone who feels like they are on the edge of the lifetime opportunity that they’ve prayed for, but are too afraid to admit its for them. We all have our reasons to fear and doubt. But when we remember how good our God is, then maybe we can remember that He gives good gifts, not because we are good and have earned it, but because He is good always.

I posted a new blog today about sticking to the plans we make when we’re feeling good, even when we don’t feel like it anymore. On our good days we make plans for our future such as create a healthy lifestyle, eat better, exercise more, or get out of debt, or spend more quality time with loved ones, start a business, go back to school, etc.  But after a little while of following our plans, we have a day, or just a moment, where we think to ourselves that we don’t want to keep going. We’re tired. We’re hungry. We’re bored. What’s really happening is that we’re not seeing immediate progress so we begin to think that our plan isn’t working. While in reality the plan is working fine,  we just don’t have patience. In these moments, if we sit with ourselves and remind our self of the purpose for the plan and then we decide that we will stick to the plan no matter what, we will see the results in due time. Head over and read the rest of this and more!

I’d like to take a moment to share a little bit about myself and my intentions for this blog. I am a Christian, grew up Baptist, but Im more non-traditional these days. I am married to a wonderful husband who works tirelessly to provide for his family and still finds time to be with us. I am a mother to 3 rowdy but crazy smart boys ages 15, 13, and 9. We have one cat named Max. He’s a black and white tuxedo cat, fat and happy. Also, I turned 40 this year, and im struggling with that…

I was a hairstylist for 18 years. I was an independent stylist for 10 of those years. That means that I booth rented and/or made house calls during that time. I continued to work for my clients even when I wasn’t employed by a salon. There were a few years when my kids were very young that this was our saving grace.

I have also been an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics for the past 8 years. To be honest, it’s been more of a hobby than a career. It’s gotten us through some difficult times, though.

In 2021, I felt God impress upon my heart to resign from my cosmetology career. I obeyed, but it wasn’t easy. A few months later, He revealed His purpose for letting go when He called upon me to preach. A year later, I was ordained as a pastor at my home church. Being a pastor has been the most challenging and yet rewarding experience by far. I know that many people say that about parenting, but I believe it’s true for pastors as well.

In 2023, I was inspired to write a book. I published that book in 2024. It’s called Becoming A Woman After God’s Heart. You can find it on Amazon. This book is my first try at composing my testimonies that show God’s presence in our everyday lives. I give God all the glory and praise for the content of that book as well as the content on this blog.

I’ve thought about creating a blog for a couple of years now, but I didn’t know who,what,where,when,or how to even begin. But today, I decided it was the day for step one.

My intentions and hopes for this blog are that the readers will be inspired, encouraged, and uplifted through each piece they read. The message that God has put on my heart to share is this: God is everywhere, in everything. He is with us always. He is our strength, our hope, and our joy!

May you all be blessed, and remember that YOU are a BLESSING!💜