2014 Recap: Promise Keeper

Where do I begin about 2014? I can't even begin to write about the blessings, the favor, the opportunities, the doubt, sadness and fear that I have experienced this year. Because all in all, God has been ever so faithful.


The biggest lesson I learned this year is: God keeps His promises. It's so easy to doubt God when the evidence is negative, but that's exactly when God works best. I knew that He had called me to be a psychologist, but because of my brief stint as a biology major, my GPA was a mess. This time last year, I was completing grad school applications, terrified that I was not going to get an interview anywhere, talk less of get into a Clinical Psychology program. As I type this, I've completed my first semester of a doctorate program, a program that I was told I was not competitive enough for. To top it all off, I aced my first semester. I'd be lying if I said that I got here on my own. It was only by the grace of God. Once I got into grad school, everything else just literally fell into place. Sometimes, I sit and wonder what I did to get into this program. I'm so blessed to be there. Just continue to follow the path that God has provided for you. You never know where He will lead.


Honestly, 2014 was THAT year. God opened soooo many doors and pushed me wayyyy out of my comfort zone. From graduation, to moving to another state, to starting grad school, it's been quite the adventure. I haven't always been the happiest camper, but God has given me this incredible peace that even scares me sometimes. Having to move away from the only place I had ever known as home was so hard, but I know that God has a reason and nothing happens by mistake.


Not sure what plans God has for 2015, but I'm entering the year with an open heart and letting Him lead.


What are you hoping and praying for this year?




Selah [pause and think]

Reflections: June 5, 2014

Exodus 13:17-18

• God knew that the shortcut that went through the land of the Philistines would be trouble so He took the Israelites the longer way. I'm sure they groaned and complained, not knowing the dangers they were avoiding. How many times have we complained about the way that God is leading us, not realizing what He is saving us from? We need to trust that He's leading the way, the way to something good, and know that He sees the bigger picture.

Reflections: June 4, 2014

Romans 4:18-24

• Abraham and Sarah's situation looked bleak. Their circumstance told them that having a child at their age was simply impossible. BUT Abraham hoped against ALL hope that God, the One who moves in impossible situations, the One Who make rivers in the deserts and creates paths where there seems to be dead-ends, would do just as He said. So Abraham believed. Doesn't mean that he was perfect and didn't falter in his belief. All you need is a mustard seed of faith.

No Pain, No Gain

First post of 2014! 

So, it's a new year, well, three months in and I've been on this whole working out thing. I've been attending a boot camp class at the gym pretty frequently in the past couple of weeks and though it seems tough at the time, the instructor is very encouraging. I keep going because I know it is for my benefit and I leave feeling great about myself. The next morning, I wake up sore in places I didn't even know existed and that's how I know the workout is actually working.

You know what's interesting? Trials work the same way. During the trials, you're sweating and exerting energy and it's just HARD. Sometimes you don't even know if you'll make it through. But the Instructor (God) is there, by your side, cheering you on. He knows that it's good for you and for your benefit. You walk away feeling better, stronger. It's only when it's over that you realize that you've worked out muscles of faith, hope, patience, forgiveness, etc.

James 1: 2-3 states, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

Trials, just like working out, define us. Something of value WILL be produced. If we were couch potatoes and just ate cookies all day everyday, we'd probably never know what muscles have, more less what muscles are. Same with trials. If you never had a rainy day, you'd never learn to appreciate the sunshine. It's not easy going through it, no, not at all. But, at the end of the day, you're going to be stronger than you were before. Your Instructor's cheering you on! There so many promises in the Word. So, sweat on and persevere. You're coming out GOLD.

Selah [pause and think]

What would YOU have done if you were Adam or Eve?

Interesting question... And up til a few days ago, I would have responded, "I'd stay away from that fruit! Do Adam and Eve know what problems they have brought on humanity?!"

In Katalyst's song "Die if I Have To," he poses a similar question and states that "all men sin and if they had a chance they would do it again." This made me think. If I was in the garden, regardless of whether I decided to eat the fruit or not, sin was inevitable. The devil's desire was to destroy God's wonderful and unique creation.

Being the all-knowing God that He is, God had already set the plan for Jesus into motion and Jesus came to give life to the creation that the devil thought he had destroyed (John 10:10, John 3:16, Hebrews 2:14). We are no longer under the bondage of sin but are free in Jesus (John 8:36).

So, I probably couldn't have stopped the world from becoming what it is if I was Eve because nobody on this earth is righteous (Ecclesiastes 7:20). BUT THANK GOD FOR JESUS!

Selah [pause and think]

Prayer Tips

Well, I finished my first read for the year, A Young Woman's Call To Prayer about two months ago. AWESOME read! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to really catalyze their prayer life. BEWARE: Once you begin walking out this new prayer lifestyle, you may notice that it's a struggle to pray, only because the enemy doesn't want you to be more prayerful because you'll mess up his plans. Can I be honest? I had a week or two where I was extremely busy and didn't take time to sit down and be in God's presence or I was simply too lazy to.

Anyways, here are some tips that Elizabeth George gives for prayer with my own personal experience.

1. "Use a prayer list or notebook." This has definitely organized my prayer life and helps me remember what to pray for. I write down every prayer request that I have and also, those of others. I also write things that I'm thankful for which really helps me remember to thank God for them. I usually write a new list every 2 weeks, but during the week, I add points. Elizabeth advises to carry a small spiral pad or an index card so that when people ask you to pray for them and you aren't near your notebook, you'll remember. I use the note function on my phone.
2. "Schedule a prayer time each day." This was definitely one of the hardest things for me to do, with constant meetings, classes, exams, papers and activities, but after classes, before I went study was the best time for me during the semester. Now during the summer, I find that making it the first big thing I do in the morning with my cup of tea. BEST TIME EVER! In the book, Elizabeth recommended setting a timer for 5 minutes so that praying won't feel overwhelming. That definitely helped me at first, but now, once I get started I usually surpass the 5 minutes. As you continue, you begin to see this time as a necessity and not an obligation. Note: This doesn't mean you shouldn't be in constant communication with God during the day, but this is a time that you set aside to sit in His presence.
3. "Spend time praying with others." I haven't really done this one yet. Note to self: GET ON IT! 
4. "Pray using Scripture" In my prayer notebook, I write some verse that coincide with whatever the need may be. Do I know the whole Bible? NO! But Google has been my best friend. If you know snippets of the verse or don't know any verses on a certain topic, Google it! Ex. : Direction (Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:9)
5. "Borrow from the prayers of others." I haven't done this one yet.
6. "Open and close each day with a time of prayer." Usually while I'm still in the bed, I thank God for waking me up and loving me. Simple. Then at night, I just thank Him for the day and ask for forgiveness of sin. Short and to the point because I fall asleep (hahaha). But if I'm still awake, I try to recap my day to Him.
7. "Get inspired by the biographies of others who prayed." Haven't done this one either. 
8. "Study the prayers of the Bible." The most common prayer is the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).  Elizabeth also suggests Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
9. "Follow through with your resolve: No decision made without prayer." This one is definitely hard for me. I always forget to pray before I do many things. God, help me!
10. "Feed your heart and mind with God's word." This cannot be stressed enough. Sometimes you don't have the words to say, but there are Scriptures that say it all.

Remember, prayer is simply talking to God. Don't make it harder than it has to be and don't let these tips intimidate you. Just speak to God from the depths of your heart. He understands.

Selah [pause and think]

Opened Box

Confession: I have been working on another post for a week now. It requires research and I currently have no motivation to do the research. SMH... well, it's summer. I will be on my grind very soon. Anyways, during finals week, I don't remember what brought the thought about but I started thinking about society's view of beauty and how I measured up. My thoughts were so intense/compelling that I had to write them down. Here's what I got:

Opened Box
Beautiful, they say.
I wonder what they are talking about.
You see, I never really found beauty in my features.
Now, before you say I have low self-esteem, hear me out.
I'm no where near the coveted 5'11" with the slim build.
Nothing amazing.
I'll never be on the cover of a magazine.
But you see, society uses these features to put us in a box
They don't want us to be difficult or unique, but robots, identical to each other.
MY beauty lies in my relationship with my Creator.
MY beauty lies in my God-given talents and personality.
MY beauty lies in my morals and values.
MY beauty lies in my heart for others.
MY beauty lies in the desire to positively impact those around me.
You see, I never really thought of my physical features as beautiful because what's inside overshadows it by far.
In everything I do, in every experience I have, I find another facet of beauty.
Yet society chooses to limit beauty to one thing.
I refuse to indulge in that mindset.
Physical beauty chips, cracks, fades and disappears.
I, every aspect of me, was beautifully and wonderfully made, crafted by a skillful Artist.
To limit this beauty to only one aspect of me is just unfair.

Where does your beauty lie?

Selah [pause and think]

Sooo... how about those New Year Resolutions?

Every year, we make these resolutions (with intentions to keep them, of course) to better themselves. So it's January 14, you've probably been carrying out your New Year's Resolutions or already broken them. But instead of resolutions, why not create a healthy habit?

"Habits are powerful things. We form our habits, then our habits form us. So this year are you going to stop talking about it, and make it a habit to spend time with God in prayer each day? If your desire is to be like Jesus, you must begin to pray regularly," ~ Word 4u 2day

So one of my healthy habit for the year is to begin to pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17), which just means that I never close lines of communication with God. Lately, I've gotten into the habit of recapping my WHOLE day to God while in bed. I usually don't finish because I fall asleep, but it's definitely a great way to end the day and it reminds me of people/situations I need to pray for.

So what about you? What healthy habits are you gonna create in 2013?

Selah [pause and think]

Check out Word 4u 2day here!

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....