Don't Sweat! It's All Coming Together for the Good

As I was driving home tonight, I heard God speak so clearly that all the peace I desired rushed in at once. The concern I had regarding the 2016 Presidential Election dissipated instantly. My hope is that those who believe in the Word of God will find hope and solace in His arms.


The first thing God shared with me was that Donald Trump was the anti-Obama. This in no way is meant as an offense to Mr. Trump or celebrate the President. These are undeniable facts. President Obama comes from a middle-class family, his temperament is calmer, his demeanor is one of humbleness, he is known for compassion, and does not engage in intense verbal sparring on a more primal level. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, was raised in an extremely affluent home, his demeanor is one of harshness, his passions tend to overflow and lead to harsh expressions of his feelings. Both men clearly exhibit two different types of energy.

God said to me the following:
Nicole, do you know that it is mating season for deer? In this season, the deer are known to dash across roadways into the paths of oncoming traffic. In an effort to avoid striking the deer, drivers tend to swerve away. At times, drivers turn the wheel too hard, and their natural reaction is to overcorrect the steering wheel.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term overcorrect as "to apply a correction to in excess of that required." In other words, its to go in the extreme opposite direction of what is needed to stay on course.

There are those that were so displeased they chose to overcorrect the situation. This is the situation the country finds itself in today.

Then, God continued speaking:

There are times that I don't allow people to get what they want. I know their desires will harm them. Contrarily, there are times I do remove the hedges. I allow people to receive what they desire. I do not do this because what they desire is correct. I do this so they can learn that there are times they have no idea what they need. It is like a begging child asking to eat a lot of sugary substances. Sometimes they have to eat too much sugar to learn that what is or isn't good for them. This country, as a whole, has turned their back from me. The people believe they know what is best for themselves. They are an unbridled horse running away from me. I must allow the prodigal son to flee, so he may learn from experience. No man will meet their needs. Only I can do that.

In an instant, I was at peace. This election has nothing to do with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. God is using this as a lesson for the people of this country. He has given us our inheritance, and we have become a wanton people. How long will we stay in the mud before we return home?

Our Choice, Our Pain: The Significance of the 2016 Presidential Election

It was Wednesday, November 9, 2016, when my students filtered into my classroom. The looks on their faces told a story of the nation. I overheard a student say, "We voted. Remember we voted last week. Didn't our votes count?" Another student chimed in the reality, "Our votes won't count until we're 18." And there it was. The moment they realized how America felt about them.

You see I work in a school district which is heavily populated with Hispanic and African-American residents. My students understood that a new narrative (to them at least) was about to be written, and it would change how they would operate in this America. They were scared and I was concerned.


All Unqualified Candidates Need Apply

On November 8, 2016, the electoral college showed that America wanted to be great again. In an effort to achieve this goal, the people voted for an individual with an interesting resume. They selected an individual who had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy six times. An individual who, along with his father, were sued by the Justice Department for exercising racial discrimination practices in the leasing of their apartment buildings. Large groups of citizens voted for an individual who categorized most Mexicans entering the United States as individuals that bring drugs, crime, and a rape culture in our communities. How many times did credible news sources deflate his imaginary facts as just out and out lies? Let us not forget the profane and violent language used at his campaign rallies. Regardless of the numerous audio and video footage of him either berating women or categorizing and ranking women as sexual objects, American citizens said that this canidate was the person for the job.


Making America Great Again

Have you ever wondered what the slogan meant? At what time was America at its apex? Who was it great for? Was it at its greatest during the colonization period? The time when the indigenous people of this land were murdered or kicked off their own land for the purpose of American expansion. Was it during the introduction of American slavery? This is the time when thousands of African slaves were shackled on the bottom of slave ships while crossing the Middle Passage. They were placed on platforms and sold as objects. For slaves, this is where the fragmented family was born. They were prevented to marry. Their significant others and children sold for profit. Was America great when the numerous slave owners climbed on top of the slave women and repeatedly and savagely raped them night after night? Of course, this produced numerous children who were ignored my their slave master fathers, and some children were brutally abused by the wives of these men. After all, these children were a reminder of their own husbands' betrayals. Was it great when the Mexicans were bullied to give up their own land like Texas, California, and Arizona?

Was America at its greatest when a woman's only option was to marry, have children, and keep a tidy home? Of course, this completely ignored the other gifts, talents, and God-given dreams that a woman kept buried inside. They were left to be dependent on the man to provide which led some women to endure marriages consumed with adultery or abuse because the women had no way to financially care for themselves or their children.

Maybe America was great when minorities were prohibited from voting, sitting at a lunch counter, or going to school as their Caucasian counterparts. When Ruby Bridges had to be protected by soldiers to enter a school building. Maybe it was great when strange fruit hung from the trees- blood on the leaves and blood on the roots. Or maybe it was great when the peaceful protests by civil rights activists seeking equality as human beings were met by attack dogs, billy clubs, fire hoses, racial epithets, and imprisonment. We, as Americans, missed out on appreciating and learning from each other.

America was never Ozzie and Harriet or Leave it to Beaver. Never. From its very origin, America has dripped in the blood of the disenfranchised.


The Fine Print

Recently, I watched a documentary where a woman recounted her experience in Nazi Germany. She shared how Adolf Hitler wanted to make Germany great. How he had a plan to eliminate Germany's problems and create a great nation. The woman, a child at the time of Hitler's leadership, said that Hitler was their hero. They thought he had the solution to the vast political and economical problems Germany was facing. He promised a better life to the working class and the unemployed. He promised to make Germany great again. He used fear as his momentum in restructuring the government. By 1933, German doctors were allowed to conduct operations which prevented numerous groups ( the deaf, the blind, gypsies, and African-German children) from conceiving children. In response to what Hitler considered the truly poisonous race, the Jewish people were segregated and about three million men, women, and children were murdered in gas chambers. When we include other forms of violence against the Jewish community at this time, about six million Jews had perished for the greatness of Germany. Genocide. In an effort for improvement, one of history's greatest atrocities occurred.

Like a television sales advertisement, a nation, in desperate need of a revival of hope, refused to read the fine print of its political leader. They were brainwashed by a leader and a political party to project its difficulties upon a particular segment of their population. A nation's fear and desperation allowed millions of innocent people to be slaughtered.

Now, in 2016, we see a similar fear tactic being displayed in our country. If we just get rid of the undesirables, America will be great again. "They" stole our jobs. "They" are invading our communities. "They" are destroying our way of life. But America's "way of life" has always been based on an infusion of culture. Our own language is a melting pot of other languages. This is what makes America great. The celebration of God's creations. He gave us all a piece of Himself. And when we work together we obliterate the real Enemy.

Your Choice, Our Pain

Unfortunately, when we select a leader whose method of leadership is divisiveness, we have ignored the fine print. This belief system has never worked. More importantly, we become betrayers and hypocrites of our patriotism. For the Pledge of Allegiance's intentions are clear:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands,
One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

That's right. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Anything or anyone who goes against this principle is destroying the very basis of our ideology. So when we vote for a person with these ideas, we vote against our own patriotic beliefs. Our vote for a divisive candidate clearly says "I vote for me and mine, and as long as you take care of me in mine, what you do to the others is of no concern to me." Our vote becomes a vote of separation.

If we willingly vote for a person who has not shown respect for particular groups (based on gender, race, socio-economic standards, etc.) , we carry the same blood on our hands. As an educator, if I know a child is being abused and do not report it, I am just as guilty as the abuser and will be prosecuted as such. My refusal to make an effort to stop the abuse weighs the same as me committing the abuse myself. When the Ku Klux Klan endorsed the candidate, did nothing in you stir with concern? You agreed with them. Your vote agreed with them. We can not just take some of the candidate. We must send the whole person to sit at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. America voted for the whole person. Not just the part we liked.


My Prayer

My prayer is we learn from our choices. We have moved so far away from God that, as a nation, we don't hear His voice. We have become the prime example of a reprobate mind. Well, like the gentleman God is, He has given us our heart's desire. Now, we will eat the fruit there of. My hope rests in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Let He who is able to change our hearts and our ways do so.

Note: I assign to no specific political party.

My Brothers and Sisters: Where are you Black People?

     Lately, the media and the African- American community have been ablaze with the focus on police officers shooting unarmed African-American citizens. I, for one,  have been devastate in cases where the choice to use a firearm seemed excessive. Then, I realized that with all the media hype, we have completely forgotten about all the issues that our community faces on a daily basis. Some of us are so focused on what we consider "the enemy" killing us that we have completely lost sight of the insidious behaviors lurking within in our own communities and committed by our own people.

   When I grew up in West Philadelphia, I always heard people speaking about "The Man" doing horrible things to our communities. Now, I knew what that terminology meant, but I was still confused. You want to know why? It wasn't "The Man" I saw hit my mother. It wasn't "The Man" I saw selling drugs two doors down from me. It wasn't "The Man" I saw writing graffiti on the walls. And it wasn't "The Man" I saw abandoning their families. Nope. The perpetrators of these crimes were people that looked and sounded like me. My people.

   As I sit here reflecting on us as people, anger and shame feel my soul. Some of us have gotten so lost along the way. We have forgotten the struggle, the bodies beaten, and the blood shed which gave us an opportunity to be free, Our ancestors were ripped from their land, shackled to the bottom of ships, shipped across the Middle Passage and sold as inanimate objects. We've forgotten how our women were repeatedly raped by their owners. How our children were ripped away from their parents and sold in slavery. We've forgotten about lynchings, beatings, crosses burning, attack dogs, and fire hoses. Too many of us have let our ancestors die in vain.

     Where are you black people? When our urban cities like Chicago and Philadelphia are racking up the bodies of black teens by other black teens. What are you doing about it? Where is your outrage? Where are your picket signs? Where are your strategy meetings? How are you teaching our people the value of life? If you won't start the revolution, who will?

     Where are you black people? When our communities are being ravished by crack, cocaine, and heroin? Are you guarding the blocks? Are you stepping up to protect your own? Where is your plan? How are you improving the community?

     Where are you black people? When gangs are stealing our sons and daughters because they "offer" the young people something they feel is lacking...a family. How in the world can our youth be willing to get "jumped in" or have a "train" performed on them to be adopted into a family? Where is your soul-searching and war cry?

     Where are you black people? When grown men stand on street corners all day in jeans sagging down to their knees smoking weed to relieve their stress. Are you educating the brothers on the real meaning of sagging jeans? Do you let them continue to look like fools when they can't even properly walk down the street because the waist of their pants is near their own ankles? Are you letting them know that it started in prison culture? Are you letting them know that pants sagged because the prisoners weren't allowed to have belts to prevent them from hanging themselves? Have you told them that it morphed into a sign that men were available to have sex with other men, or do you let them think that it brings swag?

     Where are you black people? When our young women are popping out babies by seven different men? Have you taught them their value? Have you invested time to get our women back on track or do you simply stare and point as their butt cheeks and breasts try to make an escape from their clothing? Where are you when men are having so many children by so many women that it's possible half-siblings could marry? Why aren't you marching about that?

    Where are you black people? When too many of our people choose crime to support themselves instead of getting an academic or vocational education? Are you stepping in and becoming their mentors? Or are you waiting for someone else to do it?

     Where are you black people? When our children are failing in school. Are you pointing to the teachers? Or do you see the numerous parents who, when they do come to school, are high, drunk, or violently spewing profanity? Where are you when children are raising themselves because their parents are in the clubs?

     Where are you black people? When reality shows get rich off of making us look ignorant by selecting African-Americans who clearly hold no real value for themselves. They curse, fight, get drunk, and hop from bed to bed with absolutely anyone.

     Why do you simply want to march when it comes to police officers? Why are you not as passionate about the way our culture is imploding? Why are you only concerned about the percentage of African-Americans in prison instead of what the individuals did to get in prison. We are destroying our own selves faster than any other group could ever do, Change starts from within our own community. We can't expect anyone else to value us if we don't value ourselves. Where are you black people?

It's a Strange Thing

     It's a strange thing.  The heart of a woman.  Songs have been composed about it.  Poems have given tribute to it.  Nature's characteristics are attributed to it.  A woman's heart can be as comforting as the cooling breeze caressing one's cheek as they sink their feet in the sand along the Atlantic Coastline.  Yes.  A woman's heart has the power to soothe the broken-hearted.  However, our heart tends to get us into enormous trouble if not properly guarded.

     As stated in previous entries, women are groomed for relationship and service.  Our toys (baby dolls, Easy Bake Ovens, and play kitchen sets) groom us for domesticity.  We're groomed to make things better or to make things sweeter through service.  In our most innocent of thought patterns, we believe that a man will value the service and care we present to him.  I know it sounds crazy, but women believe that loving a man and treating him with love automatically binds him to her. I'm sorry to tell you, but men and women are built so differently.

     One major difference is that women tend to meditate on things. Our imaginations drift to the "I wonder would it be like" phase, and we quickly fill in the blanks. When I was about ten years, I knew I was going to marry Michael Jackson. I slept with the Victory Tour program under my pillow. I imagined what my life would be like in that world. Of course,  I grew out of "love" with Michael and fell head over heels for New Edition member Johnny Gill. I imagined he would see me in the nosebleed seats and be smitten with my innocence. Of course that didn't pan out either, but I spent a lot of time imagining what it would be like.

   Truth be told, Snow White, Cinderella, and all those other fairy tales taught us that Prince Charming would only have eyes for us. Smack yourself! This is not a fairy tale. Life has taught me that we don't know what we want. We are fickle creatures always looking for the next best thing. You can give your absolute best to a person, and they reject you. It is their right as a human being to decide you are not what they desire. It is your right as a woman to guard your heart. We give our hearts away too easily- like Tic-Tacs after eating onion rings.

     Of course when our heart is broken (and it will be broken), some of us will point at a man and place all the blame on him. The same rhetoric is usually spewed like venom from our mouths. "I gave you the best years of my life"! "I gave you everything!" It might sound like I'm being insensitive, but I'm not because I've made the same tragic mistakes as many of you. Like Frank Sinatra sang, "I did it my way." The problem is that our way doesn't work. If we're really honest with ourselves, we made a lot of wrong choices. We gave our hearts, minds, and bodies to men who were not ready or able to handle such precious things. But we gave our treasures away in hopes of a trade off. In hopes that men would really see the value in us. Look, we don't give the Hope Diamond to a newborn baby because we know the baby can't understand it's value. Why would we give our treasures to someone who is not mature enough to handle. A matter of fact, when women do such things, we show we are not mature enough to value the treasure God placed in us. If we did understand our value, we would protect it more. Let me show you what I mean.

     Two days before my 17th birthday I was introduced to a young man. Our first unofficial date was to Dorney Park, and he treated me like a princess. I fell quickly for him, and in a few days we were "" "officially" dating. What was interesting about this relationship was that ALL of his siblings told me not to date him. They explained that he had another side that wasn't so pleasant. Of course, I ignored the warnings. What transpired next? Five years of unadulterated hell. Makeups and breakups. Infidelities on both sides. Another woman pregnant. Marrying another woman that he dated while he was with me. What was sad was that I didn't want to let him go. I told people that I loved him, but now I know the truth. I just didn't want another woman to get the benefits after I had put in the time. Now days, I laugh about it. What benefits? We knew nothing about each other. We weren't even friends. I had given my treasure to an individual that had not earned it. He was incapable of valuing me because he had his own issues. Truth is I failed me. He didn't fail me. Within the first thirty days of our relationship, I saw all the signs. Instead of walking away, I stayed because I wanted it to work out. If maturity means acknowledging your flaws, I am mature.

     What's my point? In this country, we are allowed to pick our mates. This means we have a huge responsibility to ourselves and all those that will be impacted by our decision. Spend time with God and let Him direct you. I promise you if you let God lead you, 90% of your relationship drama will immediately cease because you learn that there are some men you shouldn't ever consider dating. Learn what God says about you. Meditate and treasure His view of you. Let His desire lead you and receive His best.

    As a bow to this gift, please take the time to view a clip of Taraji P. Henson's view about relationships. It's a great way to evaluate your own standards.
Click here to see Taraji P. Henson's view on dating.

Learn to value yourself before anyone else can valu 

Mediocre No More!

As I drove home a few days ago, tears slowly began to fill my eyes. "Why am I so mediocre?" constantly bombarded my thoughts like a hail storm on delicate crystal. I know to the average person it seems like such a ridiculous thought, but the world is filled with such exceptional people and things. It was sad to admit that I wasn't one of those exceptional creations.

When I looked back at my life, all I could see was how I was so average. I wasn't the prettiest girl by far. To be honest, boys didn't even notice me until 8th grade. (That's about the time that I learned the power of cleavage, tight pants, and short skirts.) I couldn't really draw, sing, or dance, but I went to a magnet high school where I was surrounded by artists and musicians. Even as a student, I was mediocre. I never desired straight A's or to be the valedictorian. Middle of the road is where I was comfortable.

My one clear strength was that I worked hard. I came from a family that believed in going the extra mile. No one could say I was lazy. First one into work and last one was out was my motto, but I never desired to move up in position. This mindset satisfied me until a few years ago. It was my 40th birthday, and I realized that I had not fulfilled one dream. You know what I mean by dreams, don't you? Those dreams that your adolescent mind conceived in your free time. The belief that you could be or do anything was always at the forefront of my thinking.

 Fast forward three decades and I had what I thought I wanted. A stable job, loving family, and great friends. But I still felt mediocre. Why did everyone else seem so amazing but I was just...mediocre? Then, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me to look up the word mediocre. Merriam-Webster defines mediocre as "of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance, ordinary, or so-so." 

At that very moment,  I was filled with conviction. By calling myself mediocre, I was saying that God had created something mediocre, of low quality, or so-so. I was advertising that I served a mediocre God who didn't put much thought in to His design. How offensive is that? God is a God of planning perfection. Anything less would be opposite of His character. Mark 7:37 declares that God does all things well. Did you hear me? All things! God formed Adam out of ordinary dirt, breathed His breath in Adam, and created something extraordinary. This means I am extraordinary. You are extraordinary. The key is getting this thinking in our Spirits, and there is only one way in which to do this- learn what God says about you.

What Does God Say About His Children

• I am God's workmanship created to perform good works. For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), [a]recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].'' Ephesians 2:10

• I am fearfully and wonderfully made. "I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well." Psalm 139:14

• I am a child of God.  "But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name." John 1:12

• I am a friend of Jesus. I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] John 15:15

• I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God. "Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love." Ephesians 1:4

Moving Past Mediocre

So how did I move past mediocre? How did I realize who I was and whose I was? I moved past mediocrity by planting God's Word in my heart and allowing it to take root. What grew from those seeds were wonderful realities of  God's extraordinary craftsmanship. God has given me numerous talents and abilities: writer, minister, worshiper, helper, and teacher. God is developing these gifts for a greater purpose and His ultimate delight. There is absolutely, positively, no mediocrity in me. And guess what? There is not an ounce of mediocrity in you! 

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

You are fearfully and wonderfully made by a perfect God for a perfect purpose. Spend time with your Father and allow Him to groom you for His glory.

The Microtears of Correction

     Recently, I was working out at the gym. My goal for the day- strengthening my muscles. As I went through my routine, I had an interesting question. How exactly are muscles strengthened? I knew it had something to do with resistance, but I had no idea how the process actually worked. The Holy Spirit prompted me to do research on the topic.

    When I began to do the research, I discovered something remarkable about the building of muscle. It is not the lifting of weights that builds the muscle but the recovery after the resistance training that builds the muscle. Whenever you lift weights, you are causing trauma or microtears to your muscles. In other words, parts of your muscle cells are being destroyed. The body's response to this trauma is to to repair it as well as replace the dead muscle cells with more cells. This leads to increase in muscle mass. Even more interesting is the fact that if you lift weights daily you will actually hinder your muscle development. This is because you are not allowing the muscles to recover from, replace, and increase your damaged muscle cells.

Correction and Spiritual Muscle

    This is the same process God uses when He corrects us. God doesn't tell us all of our flaws in some long drawn out list. He knows that kind of exposure would crush us. How could we even hope to conquer that list next to an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and most perfect God? Instead, God allows circumstances in our lives to reveal areas that we need to improve. The purpose of these circumstances or traumas is to reveal and destroy cells that are not like God. And like resistance training we are in pain at the revelation. There are moments where we seem paralyzed by the pain and wish it would come to an end. However, if you allow God to saturate your damaged flesh, He will renew and replace it with spiritual cells that will make you stronger and more of a threat to the Enemy. You see, it is the trauma and recovery that makes spiritual muscles grow.

An Ongoing Process

      Any fitness trainer will tell you that resistance training is a life-long process. When you started training, you may have only been able to handle 10 pound free weights, but as your muscle mass grows you must increase your level of resistance. 10 pounds to 20 pounds to 30 pounds and so on. If you don't increase the resistance, your muscle growth will become stagnate. Like physical resistance training, spiritual correction and development is an ongoing process. In other words, you should always expect new and more challenging levels of resistance to come against you. God is in the maturing and development business. He he has to tear down the areas in you that are not like Him, so He can build you up in His strength, power, and overall anointing. Don't be distressed. God always allows the recovery time you need before He promotes you to the next level of resistance training. Please note: God may not give you the amount of time you want, but He will give you the amount of time you need to recover.

     I Samuel 17:34-37 says, "But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

     David learned from his earlier traumas with the lion and the bear what God could do. Do you think God would have made David's next challenge a battle with a grasshopper? Of course not! It was a colossal battle against family and idolatry. David was the runt of his brothers. When he came to the site of the battle, his brothers ridiculed him. After all, look at this nobody who says he can beat this somebody named Goliath. Goliath the giant. Goliath the arrogant. Goliath the idol worshiper. Goliath the defier of God of the Angel Armies. David, strengthened from his past resistance training experiences and filled with the renewed and replaced spiritual cells of God, used one stone and the anointing of God to destroy the Goliath.

The Critical Spirit and Correction

     Have you ever felt a yearning to alert somebody of their many flaws? It's a common urge when you feel like another person is very faulty. Too often, we feel it's our duty to alert them to the sea of issues in their life. We have the list and want to give it to them. One must be very cautious with this desire. Remember, God didn't give you your list of issues (and you have many) at one time. He knew the right time and allowed the right circumstances to cause those microtears in your muscles. He allowed you to master the 10 pound weights before you moved on to more intense training.

     When we give a person a list of what we consider their shortcomings, it's like making a 500 lb man try to lift a 300 pound weight. The man is out of shape and lifting a 300 pound weight will damage his body. God starts where we are and develops a spiritual fitness plan to get us where we need to be. That's proper training. That's love. That's God!

     More importantly, if God didn't ask you to point out somebody else's issues, just keep your mouth closed! If they are doing something against the Word of God, pray for them. Allow God to handle it. Maybe God is not ready to address that area in their life. Better yet, maybe the issue is YOU! Why is it when people don't do things the way we would do them we want to say the other person has an issue? Maybe God is trying to teach you something. Imagine that! And if God wants you to address an issue with another person allow the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom to counsel effectively. As a Believer, you want to draw the person closer to God through His correction and not away from God by your condemnation.

The Cool Down- So what have we learned?

1. Correction is a process. God allows forms of resistance to tear down negative strongholds and  provides a period of recovery to replace the damaged cells with godly strength.
2. Spiritual growth is ongoing and increases through greater resistance and more of God.
3. Seek God's face before correcting others. Only God knows the correct timing and methodology to use.
4. Don't ever give a person a list of flaws. No one can handle or address that level of criticism. God didn't do it to us, so we can't do it to others.
5. Remember that what may be a flaw to you may be considered an area of strength by God. You're not the measuring stick of how things should be done. God is a God of variety and methodologies.

"A Letter to Man"

Dear Reader,

This entry is a departure from my usual format, but I think it will touch you just the same. I believe that the male species is under attack. Too often, women talk about how bad men are to them. How much pain and destruction they cause. The problem with that discussion is that it benefits no one. It uplifts no one. Let's try look at man the way God sees His wonderful creation.

Enjoy,

Dapoet

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Man,

     For the first time in my life I see you as God sees you. No longer are you a burden filled with excuses, carried by society, pardoned by the unknowledgeable. Now, I see you for who you really are. A MANifestation of God's unimaginable raw power. Every curve a testimony to His craftsmanship. Your muscles a prophetic reflection of His strength. As opposition makes each muscle strengthen is as opposition makes God's radiant glory even more expansive. What a wonder you are...MAN.

     And how my heart breaks for you. How you've walked away from the very Foundation that makes you great. Captured by the lights and glamour of it all, you've given up. The serpent's sweet smell has called you into the night to be decapitated by temptation. And when the sun rises you return to me broken and bruised and defeated. The same abuse you suffered you inflict and afflict on me. How your heart has strayed from Him and therefore from me.

      I had given up on you. Counted you out. Tried to move on. But He said, "No!" He told me I was your intercessor. The weapon Satan had not counted on. "The Help" He purposed for you in Creation. Oh how He loves you. I do too, you know. Because His love lives deeply and richly in me-- I love you.

      So what do you say to all this? Do you deny His gift? Continue to stray? Or do you reconcile? Be blessed from now until...until forever.  I love you.

Awaiting Your Response,

Woman