The Secret Source Inside of You!

What’s up beautiful people?! Happy Tuesday and HELLOOOO Spring Break! My God it’s finally here! >>>> Side note: Mentioned in The Uncomfortable Truth , as a first grade teacher assistant always on the move, hopping around with 6 and 7-year-old know-it-alls, this week is truly a blessing. No classroom, no kids, no clock. Just me, myself and Abba. Ah what a dream come true! To jump start such phenomenal week, I attended the Jonathan McReynolds: Make More Room Tour with my best friend Maya! Talk about a blast! With a theatre full of young souls (old too 😉) crying out to make room for our Father to come in and take the place of our selfish ways (including mine) it truly encouraged me to keep pushing forward. Most importantly, reminding me who truly has the power in any case scenario: Jesus explains to us perfectly in Luke 10 verse 19 that He has provided us with  AUTHORITY over every and any scheme attempted by the enemy.  Which means anything the enemy tries to push towards you, you truly have the authority to push it back and declare “NOT TODAY SATAN.” Now, don’t get it twisted, the enemy is conniving and very deceitful, so hes not going to leave without a fight. Do know  your emotions, feelings and mind will try to sike you out and if you’re not careful they’ll win (trust me I’m a working progress 🤔). However, as sons and daughters of the most high, our Father has blessed us with a source so strong that it has to live within us to make moves. That secret source, also apart of the trinity, is known as the Holy Spirit. Back Story After His Resurrection, before ascending to Heaven, Jesus shared with His disciples and loved ones, what would come to pass and what they should look for after He left. One of those resources being the Holy Spirit. John 16 verses 5 through 15 explains it well of how the Holy Spirit operates: “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate[a] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ John 16:5-15 NLT You see, the Holy Spirit, also known as the advocate, spirit of truth, and helper is with you and always ready to move on your behalf. His job is to guide you, tell you what is to come and listen to you with opening ears and a loving heart. It just takes us to keep still for a moment and receive what He wants to share with us. Final Thoughts When was the last time you had an encounter with the Holy Spirit? Was it at church on Sunday or a few weeks ago or maybe never? God does see us and yes He knows our heart, but He’s also waiting for us to stop messing around and get to moving. The movement I’m speaking of is faith. Because you know, without actions, it is dead. So this week I challenge you to make room for our Father and allow His Holy Spirit to engulf within you. Leave comments below and share if you’re led to do so! He has much to reveal to you. It’s time.

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Abundant Shifts and Revelations

Happy Spring beautiful people! A new season has arrived  and a new shift is in the air. Are you excited to see what God has in store for you? I know I am, but can I be honest with you? If you were to ask me last week around this time, I would have been a little skeptical. You see, for the past few weeks the phrase, “Fix it Jesus” played loudly in my ear. Once again I  let my thoughts take control of my actions which resulted in me not posting. It’s not that I didn’t want to post, it’s just I didn’t know what to post about. I became so focused on the issue that my behavior began to change and worry began to sneak in.  “What’s wrong with me God?” I would question. “Why am I behaving in such manner? Why is it suddenly hard for me to write out my feelings, I mean that is the purpose of My Journey to REFRESH right?” Even with those questions coming to mind and my urgency to move forward, I still felt in bondage, as if something was holding me back. The more I questioned the further I felt far away from my Father. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until last Monday,  God began to place me back on straight street. He reminded me of the gifts and talents He had placed on the inside of me. You see I was having my quiet time with Him simply soaking in His love through praise and worship, when I suddenly felt the need to read over one of my old Bible journals. In this journal I ran across old church notes, petitions, prayers, praises, dreams and new revelations. While looking through my journal I ran across a message God left me years ago in regards to my calling and how the start of this blog had a lot to do with it. Just as I was feeling back in 2016 [timid, nervous,afraid], God had to remind me in order for my dreams to come to past I must be willing to seek Him first. In doing so He would give me my heart’s desire, and share with me what to write. Talk about amazing! So, with that being stated, in the posts to come I will share what God has revealed to me.  It’s time out for being too structured with God, He wants us to be spontaneous with Him. Holding nothing back for we will hear from Him.

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Be Real, Do You Accept You for You?

Do you remember your life as a kid? Growing up without a care in the world, not afraid to speak whatever thoughts came to mind (even if they got you in trouble)? It was during this time, social media was simply an idea someone had in mind, broadband and dial up was the face of the internet world, everyone used AOL as their Facebook Messenger and children (at least my generation) weren’t introduced to cell phones until they were official teenagers (14 years old for me). What happened to those days? What happened to the real, authentic you? Wanna know the truth? Growth happened, the internet evolved, Myspace hit the scene and social media took the world by storm. Television, already had minds spinning from sexual subliminal messages, but with the booming of new websites evolving, a new way of thinking was now on the horizon. My generation was shifting. as for myself, I was changing. Although I portrayed myself as a well-rounded person, a quite church mouse and a Miss. Goody Two Shoes, on the inside I was forcing myself to be different by changing my outward appearance and my pure way of thinking. Even some of the language I used began to switch because of the people I would surround myself with. It is amazing what flesh will do to fit in. For majority of my life, I found myself running away from myself. Trying to make an ideal image of myself come to life. Only to find out that it would never happen because Abba Father never intended it to. For He had already birthed me in my mother’s womb and provided me with a plan with hope and a future. FINAL THOUGHTS So now the question arises at hand– Authenticity, do you have it? It’s easier said to have than actually showcased on a regular basis. As for myself, I would say I’m just learning the fundamentals on what it means to be authentic… again. Besides, who informed you that you had to have it together? Who instilled in you that this life was set to be a cake walk? On this journey our Abba Father is leading you on, it is okay not to have all of your T’s crossed and your I’s dotted. Dismiss what you may see on others social media sites and focus on what Abba is sharing with you. Cry out to Him and cast all of your burdens and cares to Him for He informs you that His yoke is easy and HIS burden is light. Although the world continues to evolve and change with trends and new fashion, you do not have to change with it. Let Abba Father change you. Let Him renew your mind. Let your emotions be set free upon Him. Let your original authenticity become the true make up of you.

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The Uncomfortable Truth

Your biggest prayers, he knows. The thoughts you speak aloud, God’s dreams and ambitions you share aloud, he knows. Your fears, your anxieties, your pains, he knows. Instead of helping you, he wants to harm you. He wants to attack you and all his conniving ways. He is NOT your friend, but your WORST enemy. Crazy thing is his outer appearance looks to be golden, but do not be fooled, for all he wants to do is kill, steal and destroy. Who am I referring to? As if you didn’t know: Satan of course. Last week, I shared with you a quick cure to demolish your weaknesses by using the powerful scripture in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 5. If you haven’t read it check it out here! This week I would like to share with you the power of your tongue and how you can use it anytime to stop the enemy in his tracks. However, before I get into that, I have a confession to make: I dropped the ball… I promise you it wasn’t done intentionally, nevertheless, I should have known that test were on the way. You see, I currently work in the educational field which requires me to work with a lot of children day in and day out, specifically first graders. From the outside looking in, one might believe that a teaching job is a pretty simple task, however I beg to differ. Each child is very different and their personalities are continuously growing and maturing. To be frank, you never know what to expect in a days work because every day is different. Now, it was just week before last I was acknowledged on my accomplishments in the classroom in regards to class management. To receive such wonderful news I was ecstatic. So, when last week came along I was ready to carry out the same hardships just as I had done the week before. However, my ideal week did not turn out as I had wonderfully planned. Kicking off the week, I missed counted a set of students and was confronted about it. Although I was confronted in a calm, nice manner I couldn’t help but mentally question myself, “Erica, haven’t you been down this road before? When will you get it right?” Midweek, I was given a task to test a set of students and was confronted of how my management could have been a bit firmer. Immediately, questions began to arise again, “Come on Erica, what’s wrong with you? You can’t manage six little first graders?” Prior to that incident, information had been sitting on my desk to hand to the lead teacher. When I had finally turned it in, I was informed that the information given was very important and it could cause huge trouble since it had not been turned in on time. By the end of the week I found myself at wits end ready to throw in the towel. My emotions had taken control and my thoughts were once again moving a mile a minute questioning all of my actions. After wallowing in pity and sadness, a still, small voice came to me reminding me, “Do not be afraid for I am with you.” Alongside that revelation, Abba Father reminded me that I am still growing and although my spirit is willing to move, my flesh is not. Which is why it is important to renew the mind daily, so when issues arise you’ll know how to manage them, not logically, but spiritually. Final Thoughts: As you carry out this journey known as life always remember the devil IS NOT your friend! DO NOT give into his set ups, no matter how “comfortable” they may seem. Comfort is the antithesis of growth. Sometimes you have to get uncomfortable in order for God to really move in your life. Declare Matthew 10:16 daily and remember that God is sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be as wise as serpents, and innocent, as doves [have no self-serving agenda]. God has a great plan in store for you, but the missions will not always be easy. Do not fret though because He is and will always be with you. Keep in mind testy missions ARE NOT set to harm you, but make you stronger and help you grow. So, my word for you today is to never sweat the small stuff. Remember that WE have the POWER and AUTHORITY over the devil and by simply smiling in his face when he is attempting to harm US in any way he will flee! Always remember that “with God ALL THINGS are possible.” (Matthew 9:16) and He is ALWAYS with you.

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How to Demolish Your Weaknesses

Do you ever find yourself sinking into depression, worry, or anxiety? Don’t let it override you. Find out how to demolish your weakness today! Thinking. It’s something we do daily.  However, do you ever find yourself overthinking?  Confession: I’ll be straight forward and say I do. It’s nothing I’m proud of, but I just can’t help but wonder how I’ll complete a task, get better at something if I’m continuously struggling, or change if I continue to have mishaps and mess-ups? By the end of the day, I find myself sinking into depression, worry, and anxiety. Trust me, it’s not a beautiful feeling at ALL, but it’s during those mind-shifts a still, small voice overpower my questions. Whether it be through pictures, a friend’s phone call or a scripture, God always meets me when I’m in despair. He continuously reminds me: Before I would simply repeat the steps above. I’d question my life, fall into a feeling of funk and have God fish me out. However, it has recently come to my attention that there is an easier way to conquer my thoughts. In fact, Apostle Paul explains how to do so in 2 Corinthians 10:5: 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.   In this verse, Paul informs readers How to Demolish Your Weaknesses Take all thoughts that cross our mind (positive or negative) to God. It is during this step He will reveal to you what is of Him and what is not. After receiving revelation, it is important to denounce the lies that have crossed your mind, Followed by explaining why they are lies and then speaking the truth and God’s great promises. over your life Although these steps can be easier said than done, it is far from impossible. This week, my challenge for you is to confess your weakness. It could be overthinking as mine is, pride, etc. Followed by your confession find a way to combat this problem area in your life using the steps above and watch how our Father moves! Next week, I will share with you the power of your tongue and how you can use it anytime to stop the enemy in his tracks. As always feel free to comment or share your thoughts below. God Bless!

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