Something simply to remind myself that I have a blog...

So, on Thursday, December 13 at 10:01, I completed my first semester of Junior Year. This semester by FAR was my best semester EVER in college. Not just academically, but also spiritually and physically. I had so many opportunities and new experiences. I just thank God for it. I definitely got to really dive into my major, Psychology, and actually discover that I LOVE it. I’m so glad that God revealed to me where I should be. I ABSOLUTELY enjoy it thus far.

But that’s not really what I wanted to write about. One moment, in the final weeks of the semester, really stuck out to me. So, I’m the treasurer for the Gospel Choir at UMBC. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we found ourselves having our Winter Concert on the same day as another major event on campus. To be honest, I was very pessimistic about our turnout. Thinking not many people would come, I only ordered 200 tickets. Within 4 days, the concert was sold out and MORE people wanted tickets. I couldn’t even believe it. I need more tickets and I was given 100 more. By ACCIDENT. The Director of Student Events went against protocol to give us extra tickets.

Thank God that He is not a conditional being. I don't deserve anything He does for me. Even when I doubt Him, He still comes through right in the nick of time. When you least expect it. There was noooo way that we should have had the turn out that we did, but with God ALL things are possible.

Seems like a lot of the Christian walk is summed up in two words: TRUST GOD.

Selah [pause and think]

Focusing on the Way

So it's that time again...

Time to register for classes for next semester and what not. Two weeks ago, I went to my advising appointment and was told that because of my grades, I would be a much better candidate for a Master's in Clinical Social Work instead of the PhD in Clinical Psychology that I want to pursue. This really made me think, 'But, God isn't this what you want me to do, though?' This was the first time since switching from Pre-Med to Psychology that I began to question my career path. This past summer I did an internship with a Clinical Social Worker and enjoyed it, so why not go that way? All because of the statement of one person, I was considering settling.

That weekend, as I was listening to "Walk on Water" by Mali Music, I heard and actually GRASPED the meaning of the lines, "Full of power and might, Jesus the Christ defies the logical, Just keep your eyes on Him, Keep your eyes on Him. Don't look to the left, nor to the right, just walk to The Light." I had never really thought about those words until that moment and my eyes filled with tears. God used that song to remind me that no matter what man says, God is able. "With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible."  (Matthew 19:26) He knows the way and He's ready to direct my path (Proverbs 3:5-6). All He wants is for me to keep my eyes on Him. If He gave me every single thing that I needed for my future right now, I would have no reason to put my trust in Him.. "He's the Maker of my dreams and He's making a way for me." (Group 1 Crew, "Steppin' Out")  I'm still not 100% on God's plan for my life, but I know that it's something amazing (Jeremiah 29:11) and I'm trusting Him to lead.

Don't let ANYthing uproot the dream God has planted in your heart. He is able, he will never fail. He is the only one who can equip you for the awesome work He has made just for you and how He does it may just DEFY all logic.

Selah [pause and think]

Check out the songs! They've been an encouragement for me....

But... Everyone makes mistakes...

This past week I found out that one of my friends is pregnant. When I say that my heart dropped, it literally dropped and my chest felt tight. She’s young and has so much life ahead of her. I felt such an intense feeling of sadness. The next feeling I felt was anger. How could she let this happen to her?  But later, God reminded me that, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans3:23) No man is perfect, no not one (Romans 3:10).  I don’t know why some Christians think they have been given the right to judge others. This is one of the reasons many unbelievers stay away from us. We have all sinned and we all should be punished if not for Jesus. So, I haven’t gotten pregnant, but how many other mistakes have I made? Too many to count. It’s only that my friend’s consequences is more visible than any that I have had. I am NO better than her and I have absolutely no right to act like I am. If anything, I should be lifting her up in prayer and love her the very same way I did before.

Before you  point out the dust in your brother’s eye, examine yourself and you’ll see the crater inyour own eye.

And if you’re on the other side of this situation, know that God loves you tremendously (Jeremiah 31:3) and He doesn’t care what you’ve done. Just ask forgiveness and don’t dwell on the current situation. Know that God can make any mess into a message.

Selah [pause and think]

Is church THAT important?

Lately, I have noticed that many Christian college students don’t attend church regularly while in school. So,today, I was wondering, how important is church in the life of a Christian? I know that there are some weeks that I don’t go to Bible Study and my mentality is “I can encounter God anywhere, not just in Bible study.” But that isn’t my mentality about church. I feel that church is that push you need at the beginning of the week to motivate and refresh you in your walk with Christ. AmI just being super religious? So, being the wonderful student that I am, I googled what the Bible says about church (link included, check it out!)

We all know or have heard the saying,“iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). Well, that’s kinda what church does. It provides encouraging and convicting messages that help grow us. How many times have you gone to church and it seemed like the message was preached for you? For me, way too many times. We receive insight on some verses that we’ve read that didn’t have any significance in our lives before. Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)” Church also provides us fellowship with other believers who can eventually become mentors, prayer partners and accountability partners, which is definitely a HUGE bonus. Yeah, so, sometimes as students of higher education, we stay up late studying in addition to posting on Facebook and tweeting and waking up the next day is a struggle. But church is a vital, but not the only, part of Christian living. Let’s not forsake the gathering  together. And if you absolutely CANNOT make it on Sundays, find a Bible study you are comfortable in.Get to know other believers. GROW.

Selah [pause and think]

http://christianity.about.com/od/whatdoesthebiblesay/i/churchattendanc.htm

New Semester!

So the new semester started like 2 weeks ago. I'm not feeling overwhelmed or anything like that yet;  times like those are bound to come, especially with me being a junior and on the executive boards of two student orgs. But I'm prepared! While reading my Bible, I came across a verse that I've heard many, MANY times, but it really spoke to me and gave me the encouragement I'll need when the semester starts to seem overwhelming.

Isaiah 40:30-31(MSG):
For even young people tire and drop out,
    young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
    They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
    they walk and don’t lag behind.

My translation: People who may seem strong get weak, because they're human, but those who rely fully, depend on and hope in God will constantly be renewed because they are so close to God. Even when they should be tired, they aren't. He is the motivation that keeps them going.

Happy new semester!

Selah [pause and think]

Social Networks: Good or Bad?

MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linked In, Blogger, Tumblr...

Social networks have become a very big part of our everyday lives and it's kinda abnormal not to have one. Everything is attached to them, grocery stores, news, etc. With my smartphone, I constantly find myself checking tweets or poking someone back on Facebook.  About 2 weeks ago, my family went to Disney World and my phone died in the morning. While pondering back on the day later that night, I realized that it was a good thing because I would have tweeted about it instead of actually enjoying Disney. And I wonder, when do social networks begin to interfere with our day-to-day lives? How many major events in our lives have passed us by because we decided to stop and tweet/post about it? It has become normal for us to Instagram our food instead of praying over it. Some people have thousands of friends on Facebook and still feel lonely. Don't get me wrong... There is nothing wrong with social networks, but they are just that- networks. Take time to actually enjoy life and not just live your life through the internet.

Selah [pause and think]

Because we ALL need a little encouragement.

https://www.facebook.com/events/297435580355406/

So... I used to write poetry...

And on a rainy day this week, my friend asked me to freestyle and this is what I got:

It's raining. 

Not outside. 

But in my heart. 

Not depressing showers. 

Showers of blessing. 

Cleansing showers. 

Flooding my heart and mind with only what is true, pure and noble. 

Soaking up my sin and dumping it into the sea of forgetfulness. 

I follow the  thunder which is His voice and lightning is illuminating my path. 

I drop every weight and dance in the rain
That cleansing rain,
That blessed rain
And know I am completely whole.

Selah [pause and think]

God Speaks when LEAST expected.

Well, first, I must explain that have 2 sets of friends: Those who I've know since elementary, middle or high school (home friends) and those who I've met in the past 2 years in college (college friends). Okay, now that that's clear, on with the blog.


The other day, while in deep thought, I realized that of my home friends, I'm the only one who is VERY single (Not in a relationship or talking to a potential.) Which is very ironic because in high school, I was the ONLY one in a relationship. 


Okay, Steph, what does that mean?


Well, I was having this thought while I was on my way to Bible Study last night. After church, I went with some people to catch a late dinner. After dinner, one gentleman took me aside and said, "God has something great for you to do and He has someone out there for you. Don't go looking for a boyfriend. Don't worry about all that. Just keep Jesus first. Seek Him and everything else will follow. He's gonna knock your socks off."


WAIT, WHAT?! I was in shock. I was in awe. I was like WOW, God. It's crazy how He spoke through the most random person. Sometimes, we look around and feel a little bit left out on what's going on around you. God knows what He's doing. (I feel like I just talked about this, LOL) He constantly finds ways to remind me of that. I just need to completely trust Him.


Selah [pause and think]

Impending Mission TRIP!

I've ALWAYS wanted to go on a mission trip, but it just hasn't happened yet. So, I told my parents that when I graduate from undergrad, God willing, in May 2014, that the only gift I wanted was to be sent to Uganda with African Christian Fellowship's Mission team. A friend of mine asked why every one wanted to go to a mission trip. I really took time to think about why I wanted to go and this is how I responded:

"Just helping others gives you a kind of ecstasy so how about being in a less fortunate country, preaching the gospel and helping with food and medical needs? SPIRITUAL ecstasy! Plus it teaches you no to take your life for granted."

Thinking about going on a mission trip? Heard it's a life-changing experience. I can't WAIT to go!

Selah [pause and think]

Video Post!

Selah [Pause and Think]

Something Beautiful.

A friend of mine lost her sister earlier this summer. Not only was she her sister, but her best friend. My friend was torn between the happiness of  her sister being in a better place and the sadness of losing a significant person in her life. Her family had been experiencing some problems before the death of her sister and this tragedy was the icing on the cake. OR like they say "When it rains, it pours." Anyway, my friend didn't know where/who else to turn to but God. I texted her last week to see how she was holding up and I didn't expect the answer she gave me. Her family was growing closer and relationships were beginning to mend. They were even going to church together! 


How many times to we look at certain situations and think there is no way out? How was my friend to know that the death of her sister would lead to the healing of her family? What if she had given up on God? So many times we look at situations and don't realized that we only see a small stroke of the painting. A cake doesn't only contain sweet ingredients; there's also the baking powder and baking soda, but in the end, we have the delicious cake. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."


God is sooooo amazing! He knows what He's doing. He takes the ugly situations and turns them into something beautiful, something that brings Him glory.


Selah [pause and think]

Loving Me.

I was talking to a friend the other day and we were talking about relationships. He was talking about how much he needed a relationship and how he was tired of being lonely. Yet, he couldn't give me a logical reason of why he needed to be in a relationship. FIRST, If you're not happy by yourself there is NO WAY that you'll be happy with someone else. That's the thing people don't understand and then they get angry when the relationship doesn't work out. Take the time to love, embrace and enjoy YOU. This goes beyond relationships... It also applies to just being generally happy with life (which is the direction I am taking this post).


I love this quote from Clark Moustakas, "Accept everything about yourself. I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end- no apologies, no regrets." 


And I love this verse even more, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13) If God knew every single, teeny, tiny detail, of your existence, your failures and successes, and loves you the same, what more could you ask for? If you're not happy, ask Him for his joy, ask Him to show you how much He loves you, and He will. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother or a lover. A person, place or thing won't make you happy, they can only add to it.


Selah [pause and think]

Status Change.

"My status is changing, decline has declined, I'm on my way to better days...." Heard this song yesterday at a concert and I fell in love. Sometimes, it's easy to look at the present and make conclusions and predictions, but our God, truly, has the final say... Every trial is a lesson and from each, you are being shaped into the person God wants you to be. So, whatever you're going through, don't be discouraged, don't be dismayed. You're on your way to better days... :)

Psalm 30:5b AMP: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Selah [pause and think]

It ain't easy, but it's worth it.

Since being in a long term relationship, I told myself that I wasn't going to date for a year... Then after growing in the Lord and realizing things about myself, I realized that the next time I dated it would be for real and that next guy would potentially become my husband. No more games. No more emotional roller coasters. Ummm yeahhhhhh, easier said than done.

Though I have yet to be in another "declared" relationship, I have emotionally invested myself in certain friendships, with daydreams, thoughts and what not. It even got to the point where I considered laying down my standard to date someone who I knewwwww with my heart of hearts would not and could not be my husband.

It wasn't until today, while have a discussion on relationships with some younger teenagers, that I realized I was actually preaching to myself. I am worth so much more that petty relationships that are bound to end. I am worth more than a summer fling. I am the daughter of a King and as such, I cannot and will not allow a pauper or a slave claim me.

So, what's the lesson here? Wait, until you are sure beyond any reasonable doubt that this guy/girl is your potential spouse. But, Steph, it's hard. Wait. Steph, all my friends are in relationships. Wait. But, this is how the world shows me to find love. Wait! It's not going to be easy, but it'll be so worth it. Just think about all the heartbreak and the tears you are saving yourself from. One of my favorite songs, "Letting Go," by Reliant K, says, "The end will justify the pain it took to get us there." There is some amazing person that God has designed all for you and being with that person will justify the wait and the pain of waiting. As I type this out, I'm totally preaching to myself.

Selah [pause and think]

Emotions

I definitely miss that feeling of being with someone and having that one special person to talk to and send mushy texts… Reading quotes and watching movies on love makes it even harder. It gets hard sometimes and sometimes, I'm ready to settle for less, but I know that this time is time for me to grow and evolve into an even better woman for an even better man. 

Random Prayer

Thank You for all those you have brought into my life and for those You took away… Thank You that they taught me a lesson and help me to learn from my mistakes.

My Weekend Was Great Because...

Random (There will be many of these)

I'm heading out to the Bi-annual African Christian Fellowship Young Adults conference. I'm so excited! This is the first time I'll sing praise and worship with a legit group. It's definitely gonna be a learning experience. I also can't wait to meet Africans from outside the DMV. The main reason I'm excited it to see God move. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. It's gonna be awesome!http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1674963240

Death- a part of the Life cycle

Psalm 89: 

⁴⁷ O [earnestly] remember how short my time is and what a mere fleeting life mine is. For what emptiness, falsity, futility, and frailty You have created all men!

   ⁴⁸ What man can live and shall not see death, or can deliver himself from the [powerful] hand of Sheol (the place of the dead)? Selah [pause, and calmly consider that]!
Around me, over the past couple of months, I've been hearing a lot about death. So many people have been dying. It makes you realize that life is but a vapor. Tomorrow just isn't a guarantee. Death, if Christ does not return, is inevitable. So how are we living today? What grudges are we holding? Make sure you have your life right, because your next breath is not promised.

Selah [pause and think]

A Love Story for the Books.

I always dream of that diamond ring dazzling on my left ring finger. I dream of wedding preparations and that perfect dress. I’m African, so I dream of that perfect African outfit for the reception. I imagine the colorful bridesmaid dresses. I dream of walking down the aisle, smiling so brightly. I get up to alter and my pastor is smiling, ready to read the vows. I look at my man… WAIT… Where’s his face? It’s a blur. I don’t know who he is! I’ve tried to fill his face with guys that I like/ liked, guy friends, or even random guys, but none seem to stay. Sometimes I THINK I know exactly who he is and sometimes I think I’m wrong. Maybe I haven’t met him… Or maybe he’s a friend. I can’t wait to meet him or for the romance to be revealed. But I know that God hasn’t revealed him yet because I’m not ready. But until that time, I know God will work on me to make me the woman I need to be, the woman right for him. I’ll grow and learn all that I need to learn. So when I finally do walk down the aisle, it will be to become one with the man that God has created JUST for me. I know he’ll be all that I could ever dream of and more. He’ll be worth the wait.

What I Read This Morning (05/19/2012)

Psalm 23:1-
"The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack."

I've read/heard this verse so many times, but it really struck me today. God is the Ultimate Shepherd. Everything we need, nourishment, guidance, and protection, He provides. There is nothing we lack, so why don't we act like it? Why don't we have faith that the Ultimate Shepherd will do His job?

Selah [pause and think]

The One

College has made be raise my standards in a potential man. Not just any man will do. He MUST love God, undeniably and more than he loves me…

Perfect...

Hair out of place, make up in disarray, bags under the eyes, clothes hanging loosely… it’s funny that at these times, I feel perfect…

#realworship

In life, you come to a point where you learn to really, genuinely worship God, no matter who is standing next to you, because they don’t know what you’ve been through and they weren’t beside you as you went through it… 

Precious Promise

“Don’t limit yourself to what you see now, those are mere strokes on the masterpiece I’m creating for your life. Don’t worry, when it is revealed it will all make sense, just be patient.”

— The Artist of your life. 

New to This Game

So, I'm new to this blogging scene... I mean I have a tumblr, but I doubt that's the same... Anyway... This blog will be many things, my dairy, my vent, but most especially, how I am growing physically and spiritually. Get ready, it's gonna be a crazy ride...