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