Life Lessons Archives - My Journey to Refresh

7 Simple Steps to Help You Push Forward When You Want to Give Up

Well, I’ve finally made it. Slight headache and all. The good news is I’m here and God receives ALL of the glory for that. Ladies, can I be honest? I didn’t plan to post tonight. My plan was to make up some bogus excuse as to why I wouldn’t be able to and simply wait until tomorrow, but this time I made the decision to say no. Last week I was encouraging you all to have no more excuses and bring your vision to life, yet here I was about to make an excuse myself. Talk about practicing what I preach. In a nutshell, this week has been far from glamorous. Rough work shifts, late-night counseling sessions with loved ones, and little to no sleep hours, just to name a few, derailed me from completing my personal tasks. And, since I didn’t complete my tasks unwanted stress followed me which led me to a mini-meltdown of all that needed to be done and what wasn’t done. Fast forward, an hour later as I began to regroup from my meltdown God reminded me of the importance of thoroughly seeking Him. Now that we’re in a season of revitalization, it is important that we truly acknowledge His presence and prepare to make a change. Here are seven steps you will need to grow in Christ and rebirth your purpose: 7 Simple Steps to Help You Push Forward When You Want to Give Up 1.) Make the decision. Determine in your mind you want to grow with God. Share with Him your frustrations and allow Him to begin the process of healing. 2.) Prepare for your change of thoughts. During this season Abba will begin to introduce you to Godly warriors who made the decision to follow Him. As you connect with them your spiritual senses will heighten and your thoughts will begin to change. 3.) Study the Word for yourself. It is a phenomenal feeling when God begins to lead you, but do know Satan is not far behind. Peter is a great example. In Matthew 16:17 the Holy Spirit spoke through Peter by sharing who Jesus truly was. Jesus acknowledged His connection with the Holy Spirit and prophesied to Peter. However, a few minutes later he had to rebuke Peter because of the demonic statement placed on his heart that he spoke openly. That is why it is important to place the armor of God on you described in Epshains 6 during this transition because the enemy WILL attack. 4.) Connect in Church. It’s time to come out of hiding and begin to operate with the gifts God has placed on the inside of you. Now that you’ve gained knowledge for yourself with the word of God it’s time to find a Bible-believing church or began to engage in the one you are in. Seek the Lord in prayer and ask what church will be best for you to build your foundation. 5.) Ask questions. When God reveals that church to you begin to ask questions. Even the crazy ones! The ones that don’t make sense. In Matthew 6:33 he says to seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be established. Ask your questions and bombard heaven to receive your answers. 6.) Repent and Fully surrender your life. Whether this is your first encounter, you’ve slipped away or you simply want to dig deeper because you sense you were destined for greatness it’s important that you do so by giving yourself to Him fully so He can use you. To find out more about surrendering your life to Christ click here! 7.) Begin to walk in your new life with Jesus Christ. Your mind is renewed and you are ready to prosper so walk with boldness because you are a new creature. Hey friend, did you enjoy what you read? What was your greatest takeaway? I can’t wait to read your comments below.

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It’s Time to A.C.T!

Growing up I dreaded attending Wednesday night bible study. In those two hours, church members would sing off-key hymns, clap offbeat, and messages would go forth I never understood. One night, during the service, I recall the pastor making a statement that everyone goes through something. Puzzled with pigtails, a notebook to doodle in, and an urgency for the benediction, I remember thinking, “Not me!” Outside of my aggravating school teachers and crushes who could care less about me, I really didn’t go through anything. I was aware of God, my mom loved me and my grades were decent. I mean what true issues did I have? I wish I could say I managed to maintain that nonchalant mindset until now, however, seasons change. And as I got older my thoughts evolved- better yet, went overdrive. Every time an attack would come or I felt over-pressured, I’d quickly question, “What is this? As a believer in Christ shouldn’t God protect me? Shouldn’t He have my back?” It wasn’t until I began to understand Him for myself I realized as a Child of God I would go through things that wouldn’t be easy but in the end, I would be victorious because He was with me. As we step into this season of activation (click here if you haven’t reviewed it)I want to share with you the importance of thoroughly seeking God for yourself. Catch up on other connecting with ABBA stories here: Late Nights and Early Mornings with Abba Father 5 Eye-Opening Lessons That Will Help You See Through the Lens of God How to Build A Deeper Relationship with God It’s Time to A.C.T It’s one thing to receive revelation, however, for it to manifest you must test it. Second, if it’s for you, you must receive it, and third, you must believe it and take action. Are you ready to move forward this season? Now that you’ve received revelation on taking action, I encourage you to do just that! Ladies, It’s time to ARISE from rest, CALL FORTH who God has called you to be, and TAKE CHARGE of the spiritual being that dwells within you! Remember I am rooting for you and Abba is too! You got this! Hey love! Did you enjoy the message? I can’t wait to read your greatest takeaway in the comments below! Also, if you’re still hesitant about moving forward click here and let’s connect!

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You ARE NOT the Father!

Do you recall watching The Maury Show growing up? What about The Jerry Springer Show? If so, I’m sure one of your favorite lines were: “You ARE NOT the Father.” I know mine was! On Maury, a woman would gracefully walk off stage or have a full-blown tantrum, while the man would get his two-step on because of the wonderful news. On the Jerry Springer Show, a woman would jump up and attack the woman who messed around with her husband and one of their wigs would be snatched off. Back then, those shows provided me with great entertainment and pleasure. However, I would have never imagined they would effect me spiritually since it has been years since I’ve watched them. And yes, you’ve read right SPIRITUALLY! It’s amazing how our Father has a unique way to speak to each of us. One way He shares information with me is through TV shows and movie clips. Recently, during my quiet time with Him, He shared that line with me. Perplexed, I gave Him a side eye and wondered, “Abba what are you talking about.” Meditating on this line deeper, after a few minutes all I could do was chuckle and say, “Boy, am I happy not to be!” Maturing in Christ As we grow in Christ sometimes we feel like we must be in charge, everything must go right, and all of our duckies must be in a row. However, by sharing that line with me, He made it clear we are the children of the Great I AM and because of His greatness, we call Him Abba Father. Simply put, You are NOT the Father, God is. We are simply His children and He takes care of us. To add on to the revelation He shared with me, instead of worrying about things I have no control over, it’s important that I give my struggles to Him and allow Him to take the lead. Final Thoughts In the end, I encourage you to do the same. Most importantly give yourself grace ! For God gives you grace! No, you may not be where you want to be, but you are better than you use to be. Before you weren’t working on anything after work, now you’re striving to get the job done. Be grateful for humble beginnings for everything else will fall into place– and that’s a God promise! Hey friend! Did you enjoy the message you’ve read? If so, share your comments below. What was your greatest takeaway? I can’t wait to hear from you!

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5 Eye-Opening Lessons That Will Help You See Through the Lens of God

Hello beautiful people! Wow! I can’t believe I’m back. It has almost been three months since my last post, “R E S T : What Does It Mean?” I guess you all are thinking, “It’s about time! What in the world have you been up to?” Well my friends, to be honest, I’ve been running. No, not physically, but from God’s calling in my life. I allowed my emotions, life obstacles and distractions take control of my actions, which deteriorated me from being transparent with you all and sharing what was truly going on during that time of my life. For that, I truly do apologize and pray you stay to read more. Although this season isn’t quite over, I can finally say I am now able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. During my unannounced sabbatical, God provided me with five eye-opening life lessons that taught me how to see over my current issue and into His bigger picture. Today, I would like to share those lessons with you in hopes that they help you do the same. 1. Love yourself for you, not for man’s approval. At the end of the day the only body you can sleep in is your own,. Not your best friend, close friend or frenemy– just you. So, instead of disliking yourself, begin to embrace yourself and love you for who God has called you to be, not man. Don’t compare yourself to others. God’s got you right were He wants you. 2. Do you recall wanting to know God’s purpose for you here on Earth? You were so ready to receive an assignment from Him you would practically do anything to get His attention. I remember praying profusely to receive a prophetic word on His purpose for me and when I finally received it I was ecstatic. However, as I began to move forward with the assignment, distractions would come. One being the thought of me not having enough knowledge and tools to get started. Now, from the eyes of man that may be true, but God had to remind me that He’s able to do things exceedingly, abundantly and above ALL that I could ever ask or think of. So, although my flesh was seeing things from a negative perspective, I made the choice to be grateful with what I had, and know God would bless me with more. I believe Zechariah chapter 4 verse 10 explains this lesson best . It states, “ Do not despise small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin”. 3. For those of you who do not know, I’ve been blogging for three years. My first blog was “Christians in College,” which led to “REFRESH Magazine” and now I’m here on “My Journey to REFRESH”. During these transitions I experienced severe doubt. I would doubt that my work was not good enough and people wouldn’t read it. I would become jealous of social media because every bloggers’ life looked so perfect. I even got to a point where I wouldn’t even partake in posting anything because I felt my life was uninteresting. During my sabbatical, one night I attended an entrepreneurial workshop. While there, I shared with the host my problem and she informed me I shouldn’t stop what I’ve been called to do just because I had not seen any results. Talk about a wake up call! She then stated not everyone would admit they’re going through what I post about. She suggested instead of my focus relying on numbers, 👍 or 🧡 , it should always remain on what God originally told me to do and how He in all would receive the glory. I will admit this lesson has been a tough cookie to swallow and I’m still digesting it. Nevertheless, it has taught me how to conquer my fears which leads to my next lesson. 4. This summer, I was given the opportunity to travel to Mexico to spend time with my extended family and bring in my birthday. In fact , on the day of my birthday, I took a huge risk and did something I NEVER thought I would do. I went snorkeling! Did I mention, I did not know how to swim?! That entire experience is a story in itself, but to keep it short, I was reminded to cherish every moment of my life, be adventurous and have fun. God allowed me to step out of me comfort zone, fight my fears and conquer them. 5. Overall, the major lesson I received in this season was, it is impossible to avoid trials, so I must learn to be at peace with them and rejoice because they will not last forever. I believe John 16 verse 33 explains this lesson the best. For the Lord says, “In this world we will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” Our Father knows our problems, he sees the obstacles we face, he knows the emotions that drag along with these situations. I guess you are now wondering, “If he sees these things, why must we go through them” ? Well my friends, His son, Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. He laid down His life for each and every one of us and took on every single one of our sins in order for us to be free. Since, Jesus experienced such horrific trial, we must go through them as well. Although this season has not been easy I’ve learned to become joyful and continue to praise because I know this too shall pass. Before you go… Did you learn a thing or two from the lessons shared in this post? If so, what were they? What are some lessons you plan to incorporate in your life the next time you experience a trial? Let me know in the comments below.

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