I am a new creation!

Yesterday I spent the whole day painting.  As I painted God gave me an object lesson.  His classroom is every where and any time.  My walls had some cob-webs on it and some dust.  Quite unaware, I put my brush in it and it smeared the wall.  I didn't see the dirt until it was too late. 


In my mind I could see how this was just like sin.  In the hidden crevices of our lives, seemingly harmless but really deadly.  The dirt and cob-web were there for some time, but up close to ceiling no one had noticed it.


I came down from the ladder and continued painting.  I painted one side of the wall and it was then I noticed the filth on the other side.  The wall was blackened with dirt that I never noticed before.  I couldn't believe it was that dirty.  I told my Mom, all this time we were living in a dirty home that we didn't see. It was not noticeable until the freshly painted side made the difference impossible to not notice.


When Jesus' blood started to cleanse me, I became aware of the filth inside of me. I started to notice what was always there and what was always wrong.  I now knew what was wrong because righteousness was now in me.  Praise God.


Friends, God is able to make us clean.  We do not have to remain as my house was, with dirty walls and hidden cob-webs.  Just like a coat of paint made my house look brand new, the blood of Jesus is able to make us a new creation.  The old man is passed away and I am born again!

Miracle on Palmolive Street

If you were to scroll through the pages of this blog, you would see many posts about my little sister Kal.  You would see her journey through health issues that has been amplified by multiple car accidents.  You would see how she went from being an independent young woman, to a dependent aged woman.  You would see how her body refused to support itself and forced her to use a cane, then compelled her into the decline of a walker. You would see how she gained almost another person in weight.  You would see how she lost her ability to work and how the insurance companies has denied her support. You would see how she had to move out of her house in order to live with others who could help her with even the most basic and simplest of tasks.  You would see, and you would know, the reason that I say God does miracles.


The first miracle was my sister leaving the house, for something other than a doctor's appointment or medical tests.  She asked me to take her to church!  What is the big deal?  She didn't want people to see her. She was self-conscious and spent her days hiding in the basement of my house. Somehow, God renewed her mind and we went to church, wheel chair, crutches, walker and everything else but the Kitchen sink.


The second miracle was her being able to drive in a car that was not her Lincoln NAVIGATOR without extreme pain.  I hated driving her anywhere, (in any car), prior to this because it was so stressful. I hated to see her in pain, and she was constantly fearful of being in another accident.  Those accidents didn't physically take her out of this world but for a long time, she was not really in it.  Somehow, God healed her body, and she was able to manage the pain in her back. 


The third miracle I will detail really rivals all others for top place.  It overrides everything else, because through this she will walk (literally) into her tomorrow that God has promised.  My sister is able to walk unassisted, maintain her balance and her weight!  It is the cause for shouts of praise in my house. We have lifted off the roof with shouts of joy!  We sing out loud Freedom! No more shackles and no more chains! (Eddie James).  We know that this work in her, is all due to God. We are also confident that the work he started He will complete it.  We take nothing from Him, but we give Him all the praise. He did this for us and He can do it for you.




I AM NOT writing this for myself.  I already know what happened.  I see her everyday and am very much aware that she is a living testimony to God's mighty hand and His healing power.  I know him now, more than I did before.  I have seen through my sister, the many signs and wonder.  So I am telling you this truth,  God still does miracles!  I have heard it from the pulpit, that such things no longer happen.  I have heard men who are called of God, reason out a miracle, and attribute the credit to a man.  Today I am here to say that God is not limited to anything, He can and still does work miracles in our lives.  It happened for us. It was a moment called suddenly. One minute she was dependant on the walker and then suddenly she took off without it.  To God be the glory, great things He has done!

It is well because God is in it!

This week on the Women of Embrace prayer line, the devotional theme is "It is well".  Today, someone said something that caught me - "it is well, not because of us, but because God is in it."  How freeing that one line was for me to hear.


Many times, I work myself up into a frenzy trying to make my situation match my declaration of "it is well".  I want to be credible to those that are witnessing my life and it is not easy. Some things, if not most things are beyond my scope of control.  I can't make my son stop smoking, or have him stop hanging out with his friends every waking moment; I can't make my bank account more rich; I can't take the cancer away from my nephew; I can't resurrect my friend's dead son; I can't change a lot of things.  Yet, it really is still well.  It is well because God is really in it with me.


It is well because, as one friend says, God knows the end from the beginning. It is well because God already has His plans and He knows what he is doing.  I am reminded of the children of Israel, when they were in Babylon. God told them, through Jeremiah, Trust me, I know what I am doing. I know the plans that I have for you; plans that are set to prosper you and give you a hope and a future.  It is well, because God is in the midst of the darkest day you could ever live.  He is with you when no-one else quite gets just how awful it is and how afraid you really are or how uncertain of the outcome you are right now. It is well, when you go through your day of sorrow, whatever that may be.  It is well because God is in it.


So be encouraged my friend.  Whatever you face has an end.  Even when God doesn't answer the why we sometimes ask, He is still worthy of our trust.  He is still worthy of our praise.  His covenant of love remains with us....it is well.

Why God?

Why God? 

Why choose God?

Why live for God?

Why God?

This was the question posed to us yesterday morning, the very last day of September.  It was one that I focused on throughout the day and caused me to reflect over my life.  I turned 40 this September and I had a lot more events to reflect upon than I did at 20. 

At 20, I was young and ready to embark upon an exciting life. I was promised marriage by my son’s dad. I was promised his love.  I was promised the fairy tale ending of happily ever after.  That didn’t materialize for me.  As a matter of fact, the promises were rescinded and another person took my place.  I say this not to put anyone on blast, but to answer the question of “Why God?”

It took seven long years to get to a place where I could stand up, and feel good about myself again.  It took God pouring healing oil into my wounds that would fester and sore and gush with anger, un-forgiveness, bitterness, blame and sorrow.  It took God to hold me up when I wanted to curl myself into a ball and die.  It took God to whisper his very own sweet words of love into my heart, so I could heal.  Why God? I learnt that he never leaves you.  He never tosses you aside for another.  I will never leave you nor forsake you says the Lord.

At 30, I was the Mom of a 10 year old.  He was feeling the sting of his father’s absenteeism and I was feeling the guilt of not being enough for him.  I was looking for approval and a Dad for my son, and found instead more empty promises from the mouth of men.  I ended up in a relationship that was one sided.  I wanted the forever after and he wanted someone to use.  So I was the help mate without the covenant of marriage, until I was once again replaced by another.  Why God?  I learnt that as much as I was never going to be enough for my son or any other person, God was the more than enough that I needed.  His grace was sufficient. His riches was more than enough. My grace is sufficient for you says the Lord.

At 40, I am the woman that stands in the wonderful presence of a God who is mighty and tender all at once.  He is my love and my all in all. He is the fulfillment of promises made over the last two decades. He keeps his word.  His covenant of love remains over us.  Why God? He never fails.