The Reason We Pray

 

I would like to share some things on my heart concerning prayer and its importance. In order for my readers to understand what prompted my thoughts, I need to give some background. So, here goes:

Not too long ago I read a dismal post written by someone working as a missionary to an orphanage. I'm not sure if the missionary's work is supported by the individual's church or not. Most of the missionaries I have met come from within a particular denomination and are supported by individuals within that denomination making commitments to give on a regular basis. I am unaware if this missionary has that sort of backing or if he/she simply saw the need and ventured out on his/her own to fight the good fight of faith and live out the scripture that tells us to take care of the widows and orphans. What I do know is this individual shares the needs of the orphanage through social media and requests financial support and prayer for them on a regular basis. I'm all for Christians doing the work of the Lord, spreading the gospel first by meeting the physical needs of those they are trying to reach. Jesus fed the people, meeting their physical needs. He was our example to meet not only the spiritual needs of the people but the physical needs as well. 

In the post I read, the individual expressed the feeling of being overwhelmed and desiring to simply give up because of the pain of watching the physical needs not being met. He/she then asked for prayer. Many others have been in the same position. I have been there myself, seeing a need and desiring to meet it yet being unable to do so. Watching others suffer is difficult. In response to his/her pleas, other believers commented they were praying for him/her. Some of them added words of encouragement, asking him/her to consider all options before giving up. Then a particular person (someone who claims to be filled with the Holy Ghost) commented, attacking those who said they were praying. I literally got sick on my stomach as I read the vile comments filled with bitterness towards those offering prayer. This person was calling those who said they were praying FAKE Christians, claiming the individuals were praying but not doing ANYTHING!

I couldn't believe what I was reading! What right does anyone have to claim to know the heart of anyone supporting an individual through prayer? Firstly, the Word of God tells us not to let our right hand know what our left hand is doing. Just because this individual could not SEE what those Christians have done or are doing, doesn't mean they are not actively working to further the Kingdom of God. Sometimes, when God places a calling on your heart, it is difficult to separate your calling from that of others. Yes, we are all called to reach the lost, and yes, we are all called to take care of the widows and orphans, but while you may be led by God to financially support a particular orphanage, I may be called by God to financially and spiritually tend to a group of elderly couples, widows, and handicapped individuals---which happens to be the ministry the Lord has called my husband and myself to do. The fact that I am unable to (on top of what I already do) financially support the orphanage supported by the person who made the original post, does not make me a FAKE Christian, and it doesn't make any of the other individuals who commented they were praying for the missionary FAKE either. When Christians, such as myself, are already giving to other ministries, and they choose to respond to such a post with prayers, it should NEVER be treated as if they are doing NOTHING! Prayer is EVERYTHING!

Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests made known to God." Jesus is the one who leads and guides individuals to give (whether monetarily or through labor), and He moves on people through prayer! The prayer and the supplication is to be made known to God. Prayer is the most valuable tool at our disposal! Prayer moves mountains!

There are multiple examples in scripture of God moving through PRAYER.

I Samuel 1:11 tells us that Hannah prayed for a son, and God answered that prayer, giving her Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of all time.

Acts 12:5 shows us that Peter was in prison, and God used the PRAYERS of the church to perform a miraculous prison escape. The believers prayed. They didn't post money to bail him out. They didn't plot a prison escape plan. They prayed, and God used those prayers to shake the foundations and set Peter free. 

II Kings 19:19 tells us that Jerusalem was under attack. Hezekiah prayed, and Jesus used those prayers to send angels to fight the battle!

George Muller started many orphanages, and from the onset, he set his mind and heart that he would never ask for money from anyone. When there was a need, he went to Jesus, and Jesus saw his faith and answered. There are so many testimonies of times when there was no money, no food, no milk to take care of the children, and when he faced those obstacles, he didn't stand out on the street corner and beg, he TRUSTED God! And God rewarded his trust. 

What am I saying? Am I saying people can't share the ministry they do with others? No, I'm not saying that. Personally I like knowing what ministries are out there. Many people use that knowledge to allow God to speak to them about which ones He desires them to financially support. Am I saying that all Christians are responsible to do is pray? No, I'm not saying that either. As a Christian, I am to seek God to provide for me and any ministry He places on my heart to do. As a Christian, I am to listen to the voice of God and OBEY, and there may be times when He speaks to me to send money to a ministry or an individual. Faith without works is DEAD. But no one has the right to assume that because an individual offers prayers to another, that the one offering prayer doesn't DO anything else for the Kingdom of God. And NO ONE filled with the Holy Ghost should EVER judge or ridicule anyone for praying, especially since it is prayer that sets in motion the answers to the needs. 

I John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of Him."

So, why do we pray? What is the reason for our prayers? Prayer is what we are called to do. It is a weapon given to us by God. We fight the darkness in this world through prayer. We bring down strongholds through prayer. We move mountains through prayer. We lay hands on the sick, and they are healed through prayer, and through prayer food is multiplied. I have witnessed that one with my own eyes, watching food for about 50 people multiply to feed 100 and leave the family with leftovers to take home. When we saw the amount of people and the amount of food, we knew we had to believe God for a miracle, and He provided. God will always provide when we pray His will and believe Him. So for me to read multiple comments ridiculing believers for doing exactly what God calls us to do as believers, saddens me, and it worries me for the individual commenting with such bitterness over prayers being lifted up to God. There was a time when the disciples got angry and wanted to call down fire from heaven; Jesus told them they didn't know what spirit they were being influenced by at the time, and I have to wonder if this individual is being influenced by a similar spirit as the one that influenced the disciples in that scripture. 

So, if you have been called to do a work for God, know that God desires you to go to Him with the needs, and He will provide them. He will move on the hearts of people. If you don't have the ability to give financially, but you have time to pray for ministries, know that your prayers are crucial and just as important as monetary giving. If you are a minister or missionary doing what God has called you to do, know that Jesus is right there with you, and He will provide everything that ministry needs.  

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

Pinky

I Am Clean

 

Today the world celebrates the Passover, the day our Lord willingly became the propitiation for our sins. Let us keep in remembrance what happened that day; as the spotless lambs were being slaughtered for the sacrifice, THE SPOTLESS LAMB was crucified! (Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the beast), whose names are NOT written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.") Jesus came knowing His destiny was to die the horrible death of the cross, and yet He came! Why? Because His Holiness demands His wrath punish the wicked? The truth is His Holiness does demand the wicked are punished, but He came because His LOVE said, "I will take the punishment upon Myself so that those I created in My image (Holy and Blameless) can be washed clean of Sin and once again reflect My image. I will take the punishment upon Myself so that I can live INSIDE of them! I will take the punishment upon Myself so they will have the POWER to OVERCOME Death, Hell, and the Grave." 

Lately I've been in a place where I've felt as if I have failed God and my family. I haven't felt that I've been walking in the Power that I have through the Holy Ghost. I've been beat down, defeated, and depressed. Wednesday night at church we sang the song, "I Am Clean", and the words of it struck a serious chord with me.

"I see shattered, You see whole.

 I see broken, You see beautiful.

And You're helping me to believe.

You're restoring me piece by piece.

There's nothing too dirty, that You can't make worthy.

You wash me in mercy. I am clean.

What was dead, now lives again.

My heart's beating, beating inside my chest.

Oh, I'm coming alive with joy and destiny.

Cause You're restoring me piece by piece.

There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy.

You wash me in mercy. I am clean.

Washed in the blood of Your sacrifice. 

Your blood flowed red and made me white

My dirty rags are purified. I am clean."

As we sang that song, the words of it bored a hole in my heart, and memories of who I once was surged to the surface. As I looked at who I had once been, I realized that I HAD been WASHED in the blood of HIS sacrifice, and tears made their way down my cheeks. 

How easily we forget who we were and all He suffered so that we don't have to suffer for eternity. It's that simple. His LOVE IS more powerful than HIS wrath. His wrath will always punish sin, but His LOVE (wow, just think about it) His LOVE washed away the need for His wrath. How do I know this? Well, I have experienced His forgiveness. I've experienced His cleansing, and I have partaken of His Word, the Bread of Life. (James 1:21, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." 1 Corinthians 11:24, "And when He had given thanks, He brake it (the bread), and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.") We are supposed to consume the Word, and He is that Word that we consume. He is the bread broken for us. 

Once upon a time all I could see was what I deserved. I saw my eternal punishment because it is what I deserved. I had made a lot of mistakes. What? whoa...that's a really modern, non-offensive way of saying the truth! I had SINNED. There I said it. They weren't mistakes; they were sinful acts, and I KNEW it! I KNEW I didn't deserve forgiveness, and because I didn't deserve it, Satan convinced me that God was incapable of forgiving me. I was depressed before Satan got a hold of my mind and convinced me of that because of the sins I had committed and the condemnation I felt due to them, but once Satan got a hold of my mind, I was thrust into a deep well of depression that led me down the path to wanting to die to end my pain, and that eventually led to a moment when I nearly accomplished stopping the bombardment in my mind. God spared me that night, and that day before I made that attempt, He had a friend give me a Bible for my birthday! He KNEW what would happen to my mind that night, that it would break and I would snap...unable to take anymore pain, and He gave me the answer before I even got there. Me, I was stopped. Not everyone is. My cousin wasn't as fortunate as I was. No one stopped him, and now his pain has been passed on to all who loved him. Having seen suicide from both sides of the coin, I know the pain it inflicts on the survivors, but I also feel that those who angrily say it is a selfish act simply do NOT understand that in that moment, you simply can't "see" what your actions will do to others, you only FEEL the pain you're in, and you simply can't take it any longer. 

I didn't deserve God's forgiveness, so how could He forgive me? Those were my thoughts, and yet, He DID! How then? How did He do it? He didn't wash me because I said words. He didn't wash me because I went to an altar to pray. He didn't wash me because I asked to be baptized. He washed me because the "foolishness of preaching"  spoke truth to my heart, and I BELIEVED in Him---Jesus, the Creator, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Everlasting Father, the One True God---and His sacrifice! (1 Corinthians 1:21, "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.") I believed He shed His blood to wash away my sin. I believed He rose from the dead, and that the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead could live in me if I repented and was baptized for the remission of my sins. That's the Word. I had to be born again by the Spirit of God that would quicken my mortal body! 

I left church Wednesday night knowing that God had a reason when He told the Israelites to place Stones of Remembrance from the Jordan in the Promised land. Those stones weren't on the other side of the river where they had come from. They were in the Promised land. A place to go and remember where they had once been but were no longer. We NEED to stop, go to the stones of Remembrance of who were once were and REMEMBER what He did for us, and renew within us that gratefulness for what He did, and walk in the newness of being "clean."

Remembering the person you were who is now dead ISN'T wrong. Reviving the dead man is what is wrong. Living day in and day out in the guilt of who you were is wrong. Acting as if you weren't that "big" of a sinner is wrong. Not realizing the depth of the wickedness of your heart...no matter how "clean" and "sinless" you kept YOURSELF...that is wrong. (Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?") It doesn't matter if you have always had a strong moral compass and refused to drink, smoke, chew, cuss or sleep around. Have you ever been angry? Have you ever judged someone? Have you ever gossiped? Have you ever made fun of someone? or maybe you simply compare yourself to others and thanked God that you never did this or that...well, your heart was just as black as those who committed outward sins, and that is what is wrong. To simply REMEMBER where God brought you from, that is something we NEED! 

Washed in the blood of HIS sacrifice. His blood flowed red and made ME white. My dirty rage are PURIFIED. I AM CLEAN!

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

Pinky

Shine the Light on Johnette Scott (Heart of a Servant)

 

Shine the Light

On

Johnette Scott

(The Heart of a Servant)

 

     When I think about the influential women I’ve crossed paths with in my life, my mind immediately lands on Johnette. For those who know her, you know exactly why she came up as a woman worthy of having a spotlight shined on her for everything she is and does. Johnette is a servant in the Kingdom of God and the world. Not only does she serve in multiple ways within the Church, but she diligently reaches out to the lost and dying world through her love and servitude. The Church needs more women like her, and for the younger women and girls reading this blog, seek her out, find her, watch her, and mimic her attitude towards God and others. She has the Heart of a Servant!

     I met Johnette in 1996 at Escatawpa Assembly of God. During Sunday morning service, Johnette and her husband, Marshall, ministered to the children too young for Children’s Church. My eldest was nearly four at the time, so I encountered her bright, bubbly personality every Sunday when I dropped Brooklyn off for her class and when I picked her up. Johnette was warm and welcoming, not only to my daughter but to me as well. It wasn’t long before the handshakes became hugs.

     Around 2002 Marshall and Johnette started an outreach ministry to the homeless. They invited us to join them in reaching out to those considered undesirable by so many. This godly woman would get up early on Sunday morning and cook a big meal before driving forty-five minutes to church. She put the food in the church’s refrigerator and then ministered to children being bused in from all around. After giving of herself for a couple of hours (loving on children and teaching them the Word of God), she would load the food in her vehicle and drive to a church building in the next town over. Then she would get in the kitchen and heat all the food up while we waited on the men to get back with the homeless people. Once they arrived we all ate and fellowshipped with the homeless before having service and ministering the Word. This amazing woman would wrap her arms around the men and women coming in and LOVE them with a love only God can give a person. It didn’t matter who they were or where they’d been. It didn’t matter how long it’d been since they had a bath. She simply LOVED them! After Marshall ministered the Word, we had desert, coffee, and more fellowship with them, and once the men left to take them back to their camp, Johnette was in the kitchen cleaning up the mess from the day. You’d think she’d go home and take a nap after that, but nope! She headed back to her church for Sunday night service where she finally got to sit down and be ministered to for the day. This went on for nearly a year, and during that time I watched and learned from the best on how to have the heart of a servant.

     Matthew 23:11, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” This scripture is a perfect example of why Johnette is one of the greatest among the women of God I’ve ever known.

 

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

 

Pinky

Shine the Light on Faith Patterson (Courageous Warrior)

 

Shine the Light

On

Faith Patterson

(Courageous Warrior)

     My friend Faith is a true warrior, a Courageous Warrior. Most women are unable to face the things she’s faced in life and come out victorious over it all, but Faith is an unstoppable force, and one of the most amazing things about her is…at the end of the day, when the battle has finally died down, she retreats back to her home to inspect her wounds, wincing as she cleans out the gashes left by the enemy of her soul. Binding the lacerations left by Satan’s sword of words, she laughs at his attempt to slay her. Joy radiates through her laughter, as a bright smile stretches across her face. Not only does she keep winning victory after victory, but she comes out of the war with a smile on her face, dancing the victory dance!

     Psalm 31:24, “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”

     I was introduced to Faith, a young, beautiful redhead, around 1997 and felt an instantaneous bond with her. Most of the time the person you “see” at church is not the person who find when you visit their home, and the same turned out to be true of Faith. At church I witnessed a meek, quiet, gentle soul, and then I got to see the real Faith, a young woman full of courage, a warrior stepping through the gates of Hell on a daily basis. She demonstrated true courage each day as she chose to live for God and stand against the demonic forces assaulting her. She never backed down, and she made her “Hope” in the Lord evident when she gave that name to her precious daughter.

     2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

     Faith, God made you a Courageous Warrior, and I believe 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 explains why. Not only are you able to teach and train others like yourself to fight the good fight of faith, but you can comfort those trapped in the web of lies associated with domestic violence. I’m so proud to call you my friend

 

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

 

Pinky

Shine the Light on Ann Bonnett (An Overflowing Cornucopia)

 

Shine the Light

On

Ann Bonnett

(An Overflowing Cornucopia)

     Ann Bonnett has been a significant part of my life since I was seven years old when I met her daughters at school. They quickly became my best friends, and by the time I was eight, I spent more time at their home than I did my own. Ann has always been a mom to me. She taught me how to swim. We won’t talk about how I nearly drowned in the process! J She introduced me to Cookie Crisp cereal. All we had at my house was Corn Flakes and bananas. She gave me a love for photography and modeling, teaching us how to pose properly. She made us feel beautiful, and encouraged us to follow our dreams. She watched the dances we choreographed and drove us to the talent shows we insisted on singing in. In her home I was safe to be myself, and that’s something I wasn’t able to do just anywhere. She opened her heart and home to me, accepting me as one of her own. Ann took me under her wings and taught me so many things about life. She truly has been a mom to me.

     Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

     Ann is a cornucopia overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. Patience, kindness, gentleness, and love flow from her heart in abundance. I’ve never known anyone with such a gentle heart. The love and kindness that exudes from her astounds me. I’ve watched her my entire life, and I’ve always desired to have those traits. Our world, replete with wickedness, seeks to destroy these traits, and Ann has been its target more than most, yet through it all she stands. I’m amazed by her ability to ward off a spirit of bitterness and enmity. While many allow the cruelties of the world to turn their hearts hard, Ann’s wounded heart is still as gentle as ever, and I’m inspired by that. Her strength is remarkable.

     When she looks in the mirror, I hope she sees the woman I see, a woman full of love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and I hope she speaks to that woman and tells her how loved she is by God and so many others. You are never alone, Ann, even when you feel as if you are, you are never alone.

 

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

 

Pinky

Shine the Light on Kimberly Keevil (The Braveheart)

 

Shine the Light

On

Kimberly Keevil

(The Braveheart)

 

     To begin this series, I can’t think of a better woman to shine the light on than my health coach and friend—Kimberly Keevil. As my health declined due to my weight gain, depression set it, but during that time, I watched in amazement as Kimma (as she’s called) climbed the mountain of “Health” and gained form, strength, and fitness. As I watched her life change drastically for all to see, I was inspired to follow her footsteps to better health, so I reached out to her to ask how she did it. I wasn’t quite ready to step out and take action at the time, but Kimma, the Braveheart, eyed the woman entangled in a web of lies saying she couldn’t do it because of her age. She called out to me over and over again with words of encouragement, and when I finally answered back. “Help me, Kimma. Help me out of this valley,” she immediately descended into the valley with me, helped me to break free from the sticky web of lies, and held my hand, and together, we began the journey back up the mountain of health and wellness. She never left my side!

     When I met Kimma six years ago, we were both ministering at a halfway house. I had not been ministering there for very long when Kimma came in to minister to them through interpretive dance. I observed this bubbly, lively, full of joy woman express her love for God in a beautiful dance. It was obvious she was a woman willing to break her alabaster box and pour everything she had onto the feet of Jesus as she danced before Him. Talking to her after service, I learned quickly that her testimony was a driving force in her life to advance the Kingdom of God. She had been down to the lowest of the lows in her life, and God had lifted her from that place—setting her feet upon the Rock that could not be moved or shaken! And now that she had a firm footing, nothing could stop her from storming the gates of Hell to embrace those still held captive by the enemy of their souls. Kimma is a force to be reckoned with! Her heart is brave for those held captive; she’s not afraid to go into the darkest valley with the Keys of the Kingdom to unlock the prison doors. She is truly a Braveheart!

     Thank you, Kimma, for all you’ve done for me and for all the damage you’ve done to the kingdom of darkness. You will always be my “coach,” and there is no devil in Hell that can take that away from us!

 

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

 

Pinky

Shine the Light (Introduction)

 

“Shine the Light”

(Introduction)

 

     Hi everyone! I know it’s been a while. The truth is it’s been far too long since I’ve opened my blog, much less published in it. L I feel that I owe everyone an explanation, so the beginning portion of the introduction to the series I am about to begin will be just that, my explanation for my lack of discipline over the last year.

     Last year I began a series that I was unable to complete, and I feel that my readers need to understand why before I share this new series. I can’t expect anyone to start reading if they feel unsure that they’ll see part two or three, right? So, to give you encouragement on that end, as you are reading this introduction, know that I have several parts of the series completed and awaiting their release date! I am scheduling a weekly release with this series, so look for it every Saturday.

     There were several reasons for my lack of commitment to the series I began last year. One, after writing the first blog in the series (which was meant to address the present issues we were facing in our society), I became quickly overwhelmed by the hatred pouring out of the mouths of people all across our country. I simply could not emotionally tackle the issues at the time.

     On top of being overwhelmed by the hatred in our world, I was—like many others—overcome by the onset of depression due to world circumstances and personal health issues. I did what I could to fight the demon of darkness and keep the cloak of heaviness at bay, but that requires a lot of energy. The small amount of energy I had was channeled into completing the everyday tasks of running two homes and educating my students, my children. The business of life and the changes in our world weighed heavily on me, and at the end of the day I was left with little strength to fight the battle I personally faced. If I’m to be perfectly honest, most days I neglected the fight with depression, so how could I go to war with the strongholds consuming our world? I was being defeated in my own battles!

     At the beginning of March of 2021, I made a life changing decision. See, a big part of the reason I didn’t have the physical energy to fight the spiritual battle I was in was because I had gained an unhealthy amount of weight, and as a result of the weight gain, I began having serious health issues. I simply did not “feel” like going into battle. I finally looked in the mirror and said, “Enough!” I began a journey to lose weight, regain my health, and get back to being me!

     Thus far I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds, and I have strength again, so when that heavy darkness drapes around me, I have the physical strength to combine with the spiritual power of the Holy Spirit to cast it off! I’m still in my journey of getting back to being me and gaining control over my flesh, my health, and my spiritual wellbeing, but the big difference is I’ve replaced the spirit of heaviness that had sucked the life from me with the garment of praise! I am dancing before the Lord again. I didn’t have the strength to dance before, and boy does it feel good to shake off the shackles.

     Hallelujah! Praise His name. I am free, and I am on the warpath now!

     The third reason I’m changing gears and going with a different series is because God has dealt with my heart to change the way I battle the enemy infiltrating the world. The scripture God spoke to me for the days we live in is Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

     Well, the truth is, we think on the things we say and hear. Over the last few weeks the Spirit of God has impressed on me to fight the spirit spewing venom in our society by putting this scripture into action in my life (while encouraging others to do the same) and speaking life, love, hope, and all things that uplift, so rather than addressing the hatred saturating our world, I choose to shine the light by flashing a “spotlight” (if you will) on women I’ve encountered in my life.

     This series is meant to uplift and encourage women I’ve met at crossroads in my life, and I hope that it will inspire my readers to do the same, to shine a spotlight on women in their lives who have shown courage and strength and honor. Rather than giving power to the negative words being spoken by so many people across this country, let’s do something radical! Let’s use the power of the Holy Spirit combined with the power of our words and speak only “good” things. Let’s start a movement to change the hatred taking over our world, not by talking about the hatred, but by being the change we hope to see!

     Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

 

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

 

Pinky

Unlocking Hearts

Artwork by Schledia Anderson

     I’m a writer, and as a writer one of my missions has been to touch on difficult topics that need to be broached in our society, so that is what I have done through my novels. Over the next few blogs, I plan to open my heart, pull out my pen, and dive into the issues I have tackled and share with readers why I chose to confront those particular issues.

     On a broad scope, we should all desire to bring something to this world—to give of ourselves in the hopes of making the world a better place. I believe I was given three important keys, and those three keys unlock three vital parts of humanity, worlds, hearts, and minds. So, in 2012 I established the business Three Keys, with the slogan: unlocking worlds, hearts, and minds. My desire was to use my gifts and talents (whether it be in writing novels, skits, plays, or scripts, movies, art, or music) to unlock worlds for people to enter and explore with lessons along the way, to unlock the hearts of those around me by sharing struggles others face that may be hidden, and to unlock minds through educational tools.

     I began my mission by writing a story similar to my own. It wasn’t my story because I did not want to open my heart and experiences for the world to see, but I knew I could create a fictional story closely related to my own, and in doing so I could share my heart without exposing all of my wounds. Being vulnerable is not easy, and being a writer is putting yourself in a vulnerable position; it opens up the writer to scrutinizing eyes and those who desire to pick your words apart, and there are always those who troll through your writing to attack and tear (not only your words) but you into shreds.

     Plain Jane, my first published book, tacked the issues of self-esteem and the power words hold when it comes to it. Once self-esteem is lost (or even if it is never obtained to begin with in life) depression can consume the life of an individual. Words or the lack thereof have the power to mold an individual’s self-esteem. Bullies use them to assault innocent lives, and even an innocent child can go astray and begin to make unwise choices when there is no self-esteem to build a resistance to such peer pressure and temptation. After making such grave mistakes, depression then entangles its victim in an endless cycle that has one final destination in mind—death by suicide.

     Those are the issues I undertook using my gift of writing. I desired to help those suffering from a low self-esteem to see how much they matter, and to give them the same hope I now have after fighting my way free from the spidery legs of the demon depression. Depression can be defeated. Freedom from its clutches is available! I desperately wanted to give hope to those caught in the tangled web of depression. I hoped people who used words to hurt others would see the damage they caused, and maybe, just maybe those individuals might be changed through the power of the pen in my hand, and I wanted those injured by a life similar to my character’s life who had been left wounded and bleeding by hurtful words, careless words to receive healing. I hoped beyond hope that my words would be a healing balm used to pour upon those wounds, leaving no scars!

     If you know someone struggling with depression, Plain Jane is a great tool to show them they are not alone, and there is hope. I’m attaching the link to the book for those interested. If you are unable to afford a copy, please contact me. I try to reserve several copies from each shipment for those unable to afford them.

Be Blessed and Be made Whole

Pinky

Plain Jane

God's Way is Not Ours

(Artwork by Lauren Anderson)

We've all heard the saying "God works in mysterious ways", but the reality is God's ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8 and 9, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." As a result of our thoughts not being as high as His (See, He can see the full picture. We see what is right before us.), we usually reject it when God shows up and works in His mysterious ways. Most Christians respond no different than the Pharisees responded in Jesus' day. They accused Jesus of not doing things the way they were supposed to be done---according to their interpretation of the law. They did not accept Him as the Messiah because He did not come in the manner they expected. 

There are times when God desires to move in a person's life, yet it requires an action that others often reject, saying it is not God's will for their life, so they are advised they will be stepping out of God's will if they go in the direction they are feeling led. I have personally experienced this in my own life and walk with God. Not only was I told I was out of God's will, I was told I had been tricked by the bait of Satan, and my children were told that I was choosing to walk away from God. 

(Just a little side note: The Bait of Satan is a book about a device Satan uses to snare believers, offense. Offense leads to anger and bitterness. It is a snare. It is a trap. Avoid it at all cost.)

In 2003 I found out I was pregnant with my fifth child. My husband had already made an appointment to get a vasectomy. He did not want anymore children at that point in our lives, and I knew I could not be the one to prevent another pregnancy. It wasn't in my heart to do so. When I found out I was pregnant, we were saving the money for the vasectomy. After a couple of weeks of walking around in a dazed shock, he finally accepted we were having another child. My body, however, was rejecting carrying a fifth child. I nearly lost her twice, so I spent my entire pregnancy on bed rest. He was thankful he had not already had the vasectomy, and I knew my beautiful baby girl was worth nine months in bed. Trinity Sierra was born on July 31, 2004, and he had his vasectomy within a month of her birth. No more children for us!

In 2008 we had a special speaker come to our church. At the end of service he called us all down for prayer. When he got to me he told me I would have another child. Specifically, he said, "When he comes, he will be a boy." I ran back to my seat because I had accepted I would not have anymore children. My husband had made sure we wouldn't. Because others knew we couldn't have anymore children, some suggested it would be a grandson we would raise while others suggested we may adopt a boy. That is what we all do, isn't it? When God tells us He is going to do something in our lives or in the world, we sit and try to figure it all out in our heads. I decided that if God chose for us to have a baby boy, He would supernaturally reverse my husband's vasectomy, and that was how it was going to have to be---according to me, that is! 

Again, our ways are not God's ways. The way God ended up bringing that prophetic word to pass (Yes, it did come to pass.) was rejected by some as not being God because: "God," they said, "doesn't do things that way." You see, it required my husband and I to divorce. I had been hearing my entire Christian walk that God hates divorce, and it says so in Malachi, but what no one bothered to do was read the entire passage. The men of Israel had divorced their wives without cause and married non-believers. You see, it was their actions that God hated, the putting away of their wives without cause. Does that mean that God loves divorce or simply winks at it? No, that's not what I'm saying, but He does allow divorce, and He doesn't persecute the one who is justified in their divorce. 

People still refused to believe that God was bringing His word to pass in my life through a divorce, yet we find in the book of Ezra that the men had sinned against God by marrying those God had forbidden them to marry. They repented of their sin, and it required they divorce those they were never meant to marry in the first place. It was a union not joined together by God. When Ezra stood and proclaimed their sin and repentance in verses ten and eleven of chapter ten, he told them to do what pleased God, to separate from the people of the land and to put away their wives. So, Ezra was saying that in this particular situation it pleased God for a divorce to take place. The reason I bring this up is simply because it is one of those moments where God's ways are not ours and His thoughts are above ours. We cannot make a blanket statement and say God hates ALL divorce when He clearly does not. He just doesn't always do things the way we think He should---usually because of how we were taught. The Pharisees stuck to their guns for the same reason; they were taught a particular way and refused to accept God when He showed up and did things different. 

Let me get  back to the prophetic word and how it came to pass. Colby and I were friends while I was still married to my first husband. Colby was my friend, and he was there for me through my divorce. He home schooled his little boy. He needed help with it, and I needed a little extra income (I cleaned a few houses, but with no child support, I was struggling), so he asked if I could educate his son. I was at his home on a daily basis teaching his son, so we grew even closer. My friendship with Colby became love. It happened quickly. My children already loved him, and they respected the way he had been there for me, and I fell in love with a precious little boy. One day it hit me; the words spoken to me back in 2008 came back like a flood, "When he comes he will be a boy." I had taken those words to mean the sex of the baby, but I realized Little Colby was six when he came into my life. He was a young boy. 'He will be a boy' meant he wouldn't be a baby nor would he be a teenager. HE (the gender) would be a boy...a young boy when he came into my life. I never expected God to bring that word to pass in such a way, but I'm oh, so glad that He did. He saw the whole picture. He saw what was down the road for me. 

You may wonder why I'm sharing this story. I'm not encouraging anyone to divorce by any means, but if you are divorced, I will never judge you for it. I recognize that sometimes it is God's will for a divorce to take place in order for a person to get their life together and in line with God's word. It was necessary for me. There were sins I was trapped in because of my first marriage, and I prayed daily to be set free from those shackles, and yes, in my situation it required a divorce in order for me to be free from those sins. I'm sharing this story because there are times when God shows up in an unconventional way, and when He does, I want Him to be seen. Don't be the person refusing to see His hand moving because He's not putting His hand inside the box you think He should do all things through. 

Yes, God is a God of restoration, and there are times He will restore a bad marriage and make it new, but just because God restored your marriage doesn't mean He will deal with your friend's marriage in the same manner. Every person has a will of their own. God doesn't force us to submit our will to His, so when a marriage is truly restored, both parties have repented and changed and allowed God to restore the marriage, and sometimes a person goes through the confessions, the cries, and the 'I'm sorry's' only to find that their spouse never truly repented. You see, restoration takes both parties, and because God can see the whole picture, He knows when that will never happen, so please don't stand in judgment of others simply because God did things a different way in their life than He did in yours. Sometimes God does things in an unconventional way, and remember His ways are not our ways. 

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

Pinky

A Female, a Girl, a Woman, and a Lady from a Different Time

     Often on this site, I share epiphanies I have throughout the day, but today I decided to share something a little different. I’m going to shine a spotlight into who I am: a female, a girl, a woman, and a lady from a different time.

     The first observation anyone would make when meeting me is that I am a female; that’s my gender. I was born with female body parts, and I have all the “wonderful” female hormones that accompany the gender. Those hormones contribute to occasional moodiness and breakdowns. Yes, I’m an emotional being. I’m extremely sensitive, and I cry when I get hurt. I’m not going to apologize for any of those things. They are a part of being a female for me, and I am proudly of the female gender.

     Secondly, I’m a girl. As a matter of fact, I’m a girlie girl. As a small child, I loved dolls and dollhouses and baby dolls. When we played house, I always wanted the role of the mommy. I wore nightgowns on my head and pretended it was my hair. I would cry and beg my mother not to cut my hair. I wanted long hair. It was what I liked, but she hated long hair, so she kept mine short most of the time. Occasionally, she would give in to my pleas and allow me to grow out my hair, and I would be so happy. Long hair made me feel feminine. I had a low self-esteem, so it was important to me that I felt like a girl because I related femininity to beauty, and every little girl wants to feel beautiful.

     I had another weapon at my disposal in the beauty arsenal; I always felt prettier in a dress. My mother would make me dresses covered in lace and frills, and I adored them! Not only did I feel beautiful when I slipped on a dress, but I felt more comfortable (more myself) when I wore a skirt or a dress than I did when I wore a pair of pants, so I was often found wearing them. In the 1960’s the feminist movement brought up many valid issues where women needed to be protected; the movement also addressed gender roles. I was born after these movements began, and yet I was born a girl from a different time period. I longed for the traditional role of a girl.

     Thirdly, I’m a woman; I was raised being taught that God gave women brains just like He gave men brains. I never doubted it either. I was fairly smart in school, but I also understood that being a woman did make me different from a man, and I was intelligent enough to deduce the differences. I don’t care to try to do everything a man can do because I acknowledge the fact that I can’t do everything a man can do. My body was not made the same as a man’s. I have limitations, but I also understand that men have their limitations as well. There are things women excel in that men can’t do. It doesn’t mean men are less than women, and it doesn’t mean women are less than men. It simply means we are different, and there is nothing wrong with being different from one another, but for some reason in today’s society many women seem to desire to be seen as equal to a man in every aspect: in pay, in respect, and in job opportunities. I’m just a woman from a different time. I believe my pay should be equal to a man’s. I believe the respect I receive should be equal to a man, but I acknowledge I cannot be seen as an equal to a man in every job opportunity. My dad was a fireman. A fireman needs to be able to carry a person down a flight of stairs to get them out of the house if it’s on fire. If I can pass all the requirements set in place for a man to become a fireman, which includes being able to carry a person down a flight of stairs, then I should be considered an equal in that job opportunity, but if I cannot pass that test, then the test should not be dumbed down for me because I’m a woman.

     A few years back a storm came through and knocked limbs out of the trees at my dad’s house. They were massive limbs—limbs as big as tree trunks. I took my teenage son with me to help my dad clean up. We got down to the biggest part of the limb. Daddy needed to lift it off the ground a little in order to cut through it. I didn’t want my dad (whose health was declining) to have to lift it, so I told him to stand back and allow me to do it. He chuckled. He didn’t chuckle out of meanness, but he knew I would not be able to lift it because a woman’s strength lies in her hips and legs. A man’s strength is in his arms and chest. I tried to lift it; it wouldn’t budge. My fifteen-year-old son stepped over (after a few laughs!) and picked it right up. You see—I’m a woman; I’m not a man. I can’t do everything a man can do, but I was never meant to. I get to do something extraordinary that a man can never do, give birth. Men and women are different, and that’s okay.

     Lastly, but most definitely not least, I’m a lady. Today’s society scoffs at a woman who presents herself as a lady to the world. You can often read thoughts through the eyes, and I’ve read the criticisms of the way I choose to dress. The gossips being spoken have gotten back to me. I’ve heard the whispers that I’m religious because of the way I dress. It’s also been said that I’m in the bondage of legalism. You may be wondering what I mean by how I choose to dress, and then you may ask yourself why I dress the way I do. To answer the first question, you will usually find me wearing a dress or a skirt. To answer the second question, do you remember what I said about feeling more comfortable in a dress when I was a little girl? That never changed. I allowed society and fashion to dictate my choice of clothing for years—most of my teenage and adult life, in fact, but within the last three years, I have been discovering a freedom I never knew I could experience, a freedom to be me!

     Society screams tolerance of those who “want to be themselves”, yet I have found judgment around almost every corner because I love wearing dresses, and I love having long hair, and I’m over forty years old. Some people even feel sorry for me because they think I’m a poor Pentecostal girl chained by religion, legalism, and my domineering husband to “having” to wear dresses and keep my hair long. Please don’t feel sorry for me. I’m not in bondage. I’m freer than I’ve ever been. Yes, I’m Pentecostal, but my relationship with Jesus is not about what I “can’t” do. I’m sure there are plenty of women who are in such a bondage, but that’s not me. My husband is not domineering in the least, and I obey what God shows “me” in the Word, not what a man or a church says I must do. I loved long hair and dresses way before I even knew what a Pentecostal was.

     I’m simply being me, and I’ve always felt more comfortable in a dress. A few years ago I broke free from feeling that I had to wear what society demanded I wear. The world seemed to be painting a particular picture for women to fill, and I did not find myself or my heart amongst the colors they were using. Society was painting a picture that destroyed what it meant to me to be feminine, so I decided to make a stand for femininity.

     I’m a female; I’m a girl; I’m a woman, and I am a lady, but I am from a different time. I will allow my husband to open the door for me. I will allow him to fight to protect me, and yes, I will allow him to pick up that heavy box so that I don’t have to do it. I will not criticize him for being a gentleman. He treats me like a lady because I am one. For me, my way of showing that is to dress in a way that expresses my femininity to the world. I don’t expect any of you to be me or to have my heart, so all I ask is the same in return. Don’t expect me to be like you.

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

Pinky

THE POWER OF THE PEN

Artwork by Lauren Anderson

The power of the pen is a phrase commonly used to suggest the power held in the hands of an author as they write their opinions or beliefs. Today, the phrase would be better stated, “The power of the keyboard and social media.” The new phrase would encompass the words of any Tom, Dick, or Harry. Nowadays everyone voices their opinion and beliefs through Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, but that doesn’t matter; the statement still holds true. There is power in the pen (keyboard), and that power has grown exponentially due to the medium of social media. So, is there some sort of magic that issues from the ink as it rolls onto the paper? Or is there some mystical element contained within the keys of a keyboard? No, the power lies within the tongue and the words that come forth from it.

Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (KJV)

Proverbs teaches us that the tongue holds a unique power—the power to produce life, as well as death; but not only does it teach that the tongue possesses such an inimitable power, but we learn that we choose to consume the fruit we prefer. If we love death and words that produce death, we will consume the words that stab and cut and devour. If we love life and words that produce life, we will ingest into our spirit the words that speak life, love, and happiness. The tongue can be a tool for building self-esteem and confidence, but just as it can be a tool, it can also be a weapon of destruction used by bullies.

Back when I was in school, bullies used their tongues as knives of intimidation and destruction. These attacks happened in the schoolyard, and there may have been a few phone calls made at the end of the day, spreading rumors and lies about an individual, but the victims had the safe haven of home where the bully’s words could not invade their territory. Today, bullies still use their tongues, but they’ve also learned about another weapon at their disposal, the power of the pen; so now, not only do they run their mouths to spread rumors and lies about others, but they use their fingertips to strike the keys of their keyboards and post their threats on social media sites. Widening their scope of attack beyond the schoolyard or the workplace, they now have the ability to invade every aspect of their victim’s lives.

Trolls is a common word used on the Internet to describe people who hide behind the fact that they cannot be seen and their identity is often hidden, yet they viciously attack people online. Some people use vagueness in their attacks on social media in order to hide from those they are verbally attacking on the Internet, but the bottom line is, whether it is a bully or a troll, the use of social media to verbally attack individuals and spread rumors and lies about them is cyberbullying, and it is punishable by the law. Not only is it punishable by the laws of our state, but it is also punishable by God.

Psalm 101:5, “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy.” (ESV)

According to God, if you slander (the act of making a false spoken statement, damaging to a person’s reputation) someone in secret (behind their back), He will destroy you.

Proverbs 10:18 (b), “…whoever utters slander is a fool.” (ESV)

According to God’s Word, if you utter slander (a false spoken statement, damaging to a person’s reputation), you are a fool.

So, the question is this, are you still guilty if you believed a lie and spread it? Yes, not knowing something is false does not excuse you if you spread it as if it is the truth! Deuteronomy 19:15, “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins; at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall a matter be established.” (ASV) In other words, you are not excused because you are required not to believe an accusation against someone based on one witness. It requires two or three witnesses.

Recently, I fell victim to such an attack. Someone was told I called their child a name. I did NOT! But rather than question the source, and rather than coming to me and asking me if I did what I was accused of, the person responded in anger on social media.

Matthew 18:15-17, “If your brother (or sister) sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; if he hears you, you have gained your brother, but if he does not hear you, then take one or two brothers with you, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto you as a heathen and a publican.” (ESV)

Not only did the individual lash out against me on social media, but she made false accusations against my character, claiming that I did not raise all of my children and claiming that I had not taught my daughter how to be a lady. Since she did not name me (Psalm 101:5) but slandered me secretly, I did not realize the post was about me. Had her finger pointing been based in truth, I may have realized she was naming me, but the accusations spoken did not pertain to me. Both statements were slanderous lies! I raised all five of the children I brought into this world. I raised my first born child by myself for the first two years of her life, and she was only four months away from nineteen when she moved out of my house, so I do believe that constitutes raising my children. She also blurted for all to read that my daughter (someone who is supposed to be her friend) did not know how to be a girl because I had not taught her how to be a girl. I will not even dignify that with a rebuttal. Anyone who knows me, knows how I have raised all my children. Along with being slandered, the lady also made a verbal threat of a physical attack against me. Her post incited other bullies to join in and make their own threats of physical harm.

Once I was informed that the post was about me, I confronted the person I was told this woman said told her I called her child a heathen or hellion. That person was my daughter, her friend. I calmly asked her (my daughter) why I was being told she said I called someone a name, something she knew I had not done. She claimed she did not tell her friend that I said anything, saying she didn’t know why the woman thought I said such a thing.

This is not the first time I’ve been through something of this nature. Back in 2010 I had a woman make false accusations against me on Facebook. I was speaking at a rehab and this individual wanted to be able to hear me speak. I have five children. I was extremely busy getting them ready to be babysat while I spoke, and I was running late. The woman messaged me and mentioned not being able to attend because she didn’t have the gas in her car. As stated, I was running late myself, and I did not know where she lived. I was the speaker, so being late wasn’t an option. I told her I was sorry she would be unable to attend and left my home. She had wanted me to offer her a ride to where I was speaking. Because I did not do so, she unleashed a verbal attack on social media. I was devastated! I knew her children and loved them, so I prayed about how to handle the situation. I felt led by God not to respond to anything that was said on Facebook. Jesus stood before His accusers and said nothing in His defense before His crucifixion. I never doubted how I handled the situation. I knew God had led me to stay silent.

Then a couple of years later an author accused me of plagiarism on Facebook. She had not read my work, and I had not read her work either. Plagiarism kind of hinges on stealing another person’s words. You can’t steal words you haven’t heard or read, and you can’t make a credible accusation against another author for stealing your words when you haven’t read the book you claim plagiarized yours. I was once again devastated! This time I contacted the woman and pointed out that my work had been written several years prior to ever meeting her and that I could not plagiarize what I had not read. She removed her post and sent me a letter of apology. I accepted her apology, but I was bothered that she did not admit her accusation was false through the same medium that she made the accusation, but I let it go and left it in God’s hands.

So, once again, I am devastated at the slander of my character on Facebook, and I was left to pray and ask God how to handle the situation. This time I have felt led to make a response through the same medium that I have been slandered through, social media. Sometimes you have to stand up against the lies with the truth. As an author I know the power of the pen, and as a believer I know the power of the Word of God. Proverbs 18:21 clearly says I have the power of life and death at the tip of my tongue, and since those things at the tip of my tongue have a way of making their way through my fingertips onto a black keyboard, I had to choose how to handle my words. I choose to eat the fruit of life. I’m not angry, not anymore. At first I cried because I felt Satan stab me in the heart with the viciousness of the things being said about me. People who do not even know me joined in the attack against me, and my ex-husband jumped on the bandwagon too, claiming to be curious. I had bitten off and chewed on the fruit of death that was being delivered on social media about me.

After I stopped crying, I got angry, and then my husband reminded me I must be doing something right in order for Satan to seek me out to attack me so strongly, and boy does Satan know where to stab. He goes straight for the jugular. Once my daughter admitted to me that she knew I was innocent (the phone call was recorded, by the way), God gave me a peace, and He showed me how I can help others to gain victory over gossip and slander. By sharing what I’ve been through, confronting the lies that are being spread, and calling it what it is—SLANDER, LIES, AND BULLYING, I can help others to learn how to eat fruit that produces life. Life is gained when you stop the bleeding caused by rumors and gossip. When you confront the gossip and slander, Satan loses his weapon.

Be Blessed and Be Made Whole,

Pinky