So, in my last blog, How Do you Like Your Eggs, I discussed how sometimes God gives us something and we think that because He gave it to us, there is no room for growth or improvement. One of the comment for that post said that what I was describing was "flexibility."
On December 31, 2011, I was wallowing in self-pity on my living room floor. I was lamenting my loneliness and loathing my life's failures. I had one foot in the ppol of depression and I was ready to dive into it. But, thank God for God. As I cried and prayed and prayed a cried. He said, "Okay, that's enough. Now that you got that out of your system, what are you going to do about it?" I really wanted to keep crying and praying, but instead, I started writing down what was hurting and how I, with God's help could fix it. Pretty soon, I got on a roll, and at that point I wrote down everything in life that God have given me the talent to do and I wanted to share them all with the world! But, I needed a name that fit as an umbrella covering everything. And, that is how Elevated Values Consulting and Coordinating was born! My law degree gives me just enough knowledge to be dangerous, so I got my website, Facebook, Twitter, fictitious name, and I was off an running. I thought this could be a great outlet. It could maybe even grow into a side business, so i could make a little money. It was exciting. I felt like I had found a purpose. I was told several times that I was offereing too much under one umbrella. At first, I did not listen. I felt this is what God gave me and this is how I am going to do it. Eventually, I separted the music, but kept everything else intact. I was eating the whole egg, shell and all. Now, after realizing what truly brings me joy and what God really wanted me to do, Elevated Values Consulting and Coordinating, is just Elevated Values. No more consulting (with the exception of the articles, blog, and devotions, if you want to consider them consulting) and no more coordinating or catering. I used to love baking as therapy, but when it became a business, it became a chore; there was no more joy in it. In Joanna Weaver's book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha world, she describes a story about a woman whom God told to pull a wagon up a hill. This is a paraphrase of the story. On the way, people kept asking her to carry their rocks in her wagon. Soon, the wagon was too heavy to pull and she felt weighed down. She cried out to God, "Why would you give me a task I cannot complete?" God answered, "I told you to pull the wagon. I did NOT tell you to put all these extra rocks in it." That is how I have felt lately. I have felt burdened down, but not because God told me to do something because I decided that my life was meaningless unless I was doing all of these things and creating multiple streams of income. That is not how my eggs were meant to be cooked. I am a Christian woman with heavenly-high standards, I love to write and share my experiences in articles, blogs, devotions. I like to bake or plan for my family and when I feel like it. So, there you have it. That is why the name has changed. I will continue to blog as God gives me what to write. There are three remaining weeks in the PWYP Devotion Series. My articles and any new articles will stay posted and you can always find music at www.tonilashaunmusic.com. I hope that these changes do not disappoint anyone because I believe I am acting in obedience to God. If you are feeling burdened down, ask yourself if you are working for the Lord or for validation. The former may be rough, but will be worth it. The latter will always leave you feeling empty. I pray you still find helpful insight on this website. Be blessed! Ms. EV
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Last year, around this time, I went to an audition. Only a handful of people knew at the time where I was going because I learned from the story of Joseph that sometimes it’s best to keep your dreams within your circle of trust. Now that it is over and has been over for quite some time and the first episode has aired, I can reveal that the audition was for the show, Sunday Best.
I had been encouraged by several people to step out and audition for this type of opportunity, so I prayed about it and God did not tell me not to do it. Looking back, I am not sure if He told me to do it, but I am sure that there was not a “No” involved. I may have mentioned this before, but I do not like to go to auditions or job interviews because there is always the looming possibility of rejection. At least in my theatre days, I knew what the audition process would entail. In this particular instance, I had no idea what to expect. I sat in the freezing cold in a lawn chair for eleven hours, surrounded by strangers. I tried to sleep, but the audition, the anticipation and the anxiety of being in the midst of so many unfamiliar faces kept me awake the entire time. When the line finally started moving, I was excited, but weary. I signed an agreement saying that I would not reveal the process, so I will honor that and just tell about my experience. I got less than half a minute to sing. I got complimented by the judges on my enthusiasm. And, then I was sent on my way. It was a very humbling experience when that door closed. Last night, I watched the first episode, and I just had to thank God. First of all, I was proud of myself for watching the show because I had vowed as I left that day that I would not. Of course, that was the hurt feelings speaking at the time and part of growing in Christ is having joy for others when they reach their goals. I was also grateful that God gave me the ability to show Him how much His gift means to me. I was glad I did not stick have to around for the rest of the process because I was dead tired (and maybe a little delirious). And, after watching the auditions last night, I realized that even if I had made it to the final round to sing for Yolanda, Donnie and Kim, they would have cut me, which would have been even more heartbreaking. They told at least two prospects that their voices were better suited for theater. I know they would have said the same about me because the only formal vocal training I have comes from being in theatrical productions. I think that most of us have heard that when God closes a door, He opens a window. Sometimes we need doors slammed in our faces because that is the only way God can keep us on the right track, and then, we can live out God’s purposes for our lives. If I had been on the show, I do not know how far I would have made it on the show. Sure, it would have been nice for people across the country to hear me sing; however, because God gave me this talent, as long as I perform for the audience of One, I am using His gift for His glory. If I had been on the show, I still would not know what my voice sounds like. I know that sounds weird because, obviously, I know what my voice sounds like, but would not have been able to sing the music that I write. I would have been emulating other artists and my true voice would still be undiscovered. It was only through recording some of my songs that I was able to finally hear my sound. Speaking of recording, if I had been on the show, I would not be recording music right now. Even if I had won the whole thing, I would be signed to a label that would have control of my sound and my image. I believe that God wanted to be sure that He, and He alone, had dominion over my sound, my image and my life. God has allowed me to have an experience that made rejection less terrifying. He has allowed me the opportunity to shine in a room full of people in a way that I would never have imagined, given my introverted nature. Closed doors are blessings, too. Whether the door is closed on a career, a relationship or a dream, it has closed for a reason and God knows what is best. Never give up on your dreams because of a closed door. Instead, reflect on what you learned when the door slammed as you crawl out of the window and keep pressing toward the mark. Ms. EV I love to write! And, even though it may seem like it’s easy for me to share my writing because I blog and share my music, my writings are like my babies. Every time I share something, it is an act of obedience because, trust me, I do not share everything. Last year, I was asking God what to do with my music. I felt led to enter a couple of songwriting contests. Not to sound prideful, but I think my songs are great, and I needed to know how they stacked up against other writers. I needed to know what was working and what improvements could be made. So, I entered two songs in two different contests.
Each contest noted that it would provide a critique of the song. That was the scary part. I wanted brutal honesty because I want to learn and grow, but I did not want to hear anything I didn’t want to hear (you know what I mean). Well, last month, I got the results of the first contest. My song made the first two cuts. Of “hundreds of entries,” my song was among the top 45. When I looked at the critique, I could understand what the evaluator was saying and I will use the comments to help when I write more music. This week, I found out that my second entry did not even get honorable mention. I got the evaluation today and it was not very helpful. I was pretty bummed. Again, everything I write comes from my heart; so, to have someone give negative feedback would be like calling someone’s baby ugly. It just hurts. After I saw the critique, I went to lunch. I was waiting for my order, and I heard a student from my school say to me, “Oh my gosh, I just have to tell you this…,” so I looked up and saw her face beaming. I had no idea what was coming next. She continued, “I listened to all of your songs, and I love them! I especially love ‘Little Sister’!” For the second day in a row, someone complimented my music out of the blue. And, what made it even better was that Little Sister was the song that did not fare so well in the contest. One of the comments was, “An objective listener would not understand the vague lyrics.” But, this little girl understood the lyrics. But, wait, it gets better. This little girl has one of the most phenomenal singing voices that I have ever heard. She is a gifted and talented musician! And, God sent her to me less than an hour after I read the evaluation of my song. I am pretty sure I skipped out of the restaurant and to my car. I said this yesterday, but it can be repeated, God knows when we need encouragement. I am not, by any means, being proud and boastful, nor do I think I am all that. I know that God can make me so much better and that there is work to do. But, in getting two completely unsolicited compliments, it lets me know I am on the right track. It helps me to know that I need to keep pressing forward. There may be people who don’t like or understand what you are doing when you are on the path that God desires for you, but what they think of you is merely a matter of opinion. Listen to God. Obey Him. He will promote you at the right time and He will keep you encouraged along the way! Ms. EV My cat, Joy Bella is potty-trained. About a year and three months ago, I decided I was tired of buying litter and I had heard that cats could be trained to use the toilet. It is not exactly their natural instinct, but through a series of behavior modifications, it could be accomplished.
Well, of course, I have the cutest, smartest cat ever, so, though it took some time, Joy was able to become fully potty-trained. Along the way though, she would have an occasional accident. At first, I would punish her, but then I learned to use positive reinforcement, and soon, she was not having as many accidents. Today, I came home and out of nowhere (I mean it has been at least six months), she had obviously had an accident. I know this is kind of gross, but go with me for a minute. I was not happy, but I did not punish her; I cleaned her mess and I did not give her a treat because she did not do what she knows to do. Right now, she is laying on my lap. She is not mad at me; actually, she is closer to me than she usually is when I get home from work. Why am I telling you about a potty-trained cat? Because, we, human beings, have a sinful nature. That is what we are hard-wired to do. However, once we let God into our lives, we are prepared and pruned until we learn to live a new kind of life. We develop a cleaner way of living. Yet, those old, natural habits are still there. And, if we are not careful, we may slip back into our old way of living; not permanently per se, but just for a moment. In those times, it has been my experience that God does not necessarily punish me, but He does not reward my bad behavior either. He lovingly corrects me, which draws me closer to Him. When we mess up, that is not the time to run from God; when old habits are beating down your door, that is the perfect time to run closer to Him. That is the time to hide in the safety of His arms, admit what you have done, and accept His mercy and forgiveness. Then, you can lay with your head in His lap of love and move forward in His plan for your life. You can learn a lot from a cat. Ms. EV In 1 Samuel 13, Saul and his army are fighting in a battle with the Philistines at Gilgal. The Lord, through Samuel, told Saul to wait seven days, until Samuel arrived, and then, He would give Saul the victory. Saul, though he was holding his ground, however, felt that Samuel was taking too long, and as soon as the seventh day hit and Samuel was not there, Saul took it upon himself to make a sacrificial offering. Just after he did this, Samuel arrived. Samuel let Saul know that, because of his disobedience, he would be replaced by God as king.
At first glance, I read this story and I could not understand why what Saul did was so wrong. He was watching his soldiers die left and right. So, he did what he knew to do and offered a sacrifice. His men were hiding, scattering, and afraid. What was he supposed to do? Well, that question is answered by Samuel. Saul was supposed to wait. And, because he did not wait in expectant obedience, he was later removed from his position as king. This piece of history cuts me to the core. I have so many dreams that I believe God will make come true. Yet, there are times when I, like Saul, think God is not moving fast enough. Or, I think that there is something I am supposed to be doing rather than be still and wait on Him. So, I try to make things happen. And, let me just tell you, it always ends up being a bad choice to be disobedient; even when the action seems harmless. Samuel very plainly told Saul, “God appointed you and then He made an appointment with you. You did not keep your appointment with God, so He will now appoint someone else. Thanks for playing!” Okay, so maybe those weren’t his exact words, but you get the point. We must ask ourselves, “If God appointed me to do this task, am I keeping my appointment with Him or am I forcing Him to appoint someone else?” When God says, “Wait,” we must wait. When God says, “Move,” we must move. It seems simple, but if you are like me, you have messed it up a time or twenty. So, keep your appointments with God, spend time with Him, learn what He wants from you and then, do it, so He does not have to appoint someone else to complete the task that is meant for you. Ms. EV When I moved into my condo, I was the first person in my building. It was wonderful and quiet; a perfect place for me. Eventually, more people moved in around me. My neighbors were the party hosts for the entire neighborhood. They would have cookouts in their driveway, even though it violated the condo association bylaws. They would stay up until all hours of the night playing loud music and talking loudly.
I have mentioned several times that I am an introvert. By nature, I am pretty anti-social, so although the neighbors would invite me to join their little soirees, I always politely declined and prepared to wear my earplugs through the night, so that I would try to sleep. One night, I arrived home rather late and they were outside. I pointed out to them that my window was right above where they were sitting and even quoted back to them some of the conversations that they had with one another to prove how loudly they were talking. We agreed that if they were too loud, I would call one of them before I called the police. Well, that agreement didn’t last very long. I called, but they didn’t get any quieter. I would call the police, but they did nothing to stop it. I prayed and prayed that they would just move, but they stayed there and the issue got worse and worse. At one point, I asked anybody who would listen if when Jesus said love your neighbor, He meant your literal neighbor because surely, I could not be expected to be kind to these people who had no respect for me. After about three years, the main culprits of the noise broke up and moved out. The other neighbors had a baby and settled down quite a bit. One day, I noticed that the environment had changed. Now, though I still don’t attend their parties, my neighbors and I speak and are cordial with one another. I believe we have grown to respect one another. And, although I used to call the police on them, I never lost my cool with them. We never got into an argument or a shouting match. I never lost my religion in front of them. I just continued to pray for them (and for my sanity). Loving people who are nice to you is easy. Loving people who hate you, have little to no respect for you, and love to inconvenience you seems impossible. But, it is not with God’s help. I did not like my neighbors’ actions, but I knew that I could never let them pull me out of my godly character. So, that stopped being an area where the evil one could pick at me. In order to be more like Christ, we have to learn to love some people that seem pretty unlovable. The easiest way to do that is to consider how unlovable we are at times, yet God still loves us and blesses us. Love God. Love people. The struggle will never be in vain; you will grow another level of character that you never knew existed within you. Ms. EV I spend a lot of time reflecting on my life, not dwelling, but taking glimpses in the past to see what worked and what did not. Not only and I trying to avoid my past mistakes, but I am also looking for how the lessons I have learned can be a blessing to someone else. When I see someone headed down a familiar path, I cannot just stand by and watch them step in front of an oncoming train of heartache and disappointment. I feel I have to say or do something to get his or her attention. Now, I have learned that the person will not always listen to me, which is fine, hurtful, but fine. Sometimes in life we have to learn lessons for ourselves in order for them to stick. I mean, honestly, I don’t always listen to my warnings, so I can be mad when someone else ignores me. Nevertheless, I hope this blog will continue to help me and will help someone else who is trying to stay on the path to his or her dreams because I have discovered how to get everything you want in life.
Step One: Offer honor and respect where it’s due Step Two: Believe in God’s Word Step Three: Esteem others higher than yourself Step Four: Yield to God’s Will You call out to God for help and He helps—He’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, He’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living. Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. …It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21 MSG I am what some have called, “bossy.” Others have different, less appropriate names for it. But, ever since I was a small child, I have had a knack for commanding people’s attention and getting them to do things my way. As a youngster, I skipped the third grade, so I was always younger than most of my friends. To compensate for being younger, I learned very quickly how to manipulate people into following my lead. Of course, as a child/teenager/young adult, I didn’t look at it as manipulation. I simply thought that everyone recognized that I did things the right way, so why wouldn’t they want to follow me. It is only now, upon reflection, that I realize that I was just plain bossy. So, imagine my surprise when, as an adult, people started pushing back and my way didn’t always get the results I wanted. “But God,” I would whine, “You said, you would give me the desires of my heart! What’s up?” I seriously don’t know why God even pays attention to me when I am being ridiculous, but He does. I imagine He gets a little bit of a chuckle out of it. He calmly reminds me during my child-like fits from not getting my way, that I forget the first part of that verse, “Delight yourself in the Lord.” Of course, I am sure I am the only one who ever takes Bible verses out of context to make them say what I want them to say (read with sarcasm). In any case, I have learned, many times the hard way, that I must put God first. When God is truly at the center of it all, life is so much easier. Not easier in the sense that troubles cease, but easier in the sense that no matter what happens, I am confident that God knows what He is doing. When we get to that place of no longer having the desire to be in control of everything and acknowledging that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours, it is much more feasible to abide by His will rather than our own. I love the way The Message Bible interprets Peter’s description of God, the Father: “You call out to God for help and He helps—He’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, He’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.” God wants to help us, but He is not going to stand for sloppy living. We need to stop asking God to bless our mess. We need to start asking for Him to help up get out of and avoid the mess in the first place. How do we end up with sloppy living? We yield to temptation instead of yielding to God’s will. But, Ms. EV, I don’t know God’s will for my life? Well, it’s not a secret. It’s published in the most popular book in the history of the world, the Bible. And, if you don’t know specifically what applies to you, the answer is ALL OF IT, in one way or another. You say you don’t know how to apply it, ASK GOD. Notice I didn’t say ask your pastor or your best friend. Now, God might use those people to answer the question after you ask Him directly, but we have to stop taking the word of ourselves or others more seriously than the Word of God. And, once you know better, then do better. As God reveals His plan, His will for your life, yield to His will. It won’t always make sense, but it will always work out for your good. So, how do you get everything you want in life? Offer honor and respect where it’s due Believe in God’s Word Esteem others higher than yourself Yield to God’s Will OBEY! Obedience is better than sacrifice. All the blood, sweat, and tears in the world won’t matter if you are living contrary to God’s Word and His Will. You may get accolades and possessions, but you won’t enjoy them with any joy or peace. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I wouldn’t want prosperity that I cannot enjoy. To obey God, not for things, but because of who He is and the sacrifice He gave is the key to having everything you want (and need) in life. Ms. EV I spend a lot of time reflecting on my life, not dwelling, but taking glimpses in the past to see what worked and what did not. Not only and I trying to avoid my past mistakes, but I am also looking for how the lessons I have learned can be a blessing to someone else. When I see someone headed down a familiar path, I cannot just stand by and watch them step in front of an oncoming train of heartache and disappointment. I feel I have to say or do something to get his or her attention. Now, I have learned that the person will not always listen to me, which is fine, hurtful, but fine. Sometimes in life we have to learn lessons for ourselves in order for them to stick. I mean, honestly, I don’t always listen to my warnings, so I can be mad when someone else ignores me. Nevertheless, I hope this blog will continue to help me and will help someone else who is trying to stay on the path to his or her dreams because I have discovered how to get everything you want in life.
Step One: Offer honor and respect where it’s due Step Two: Believe in God’s Word Step Three: Esteem others higher than yourself Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Philippians 2:3-4 MSG Nearly everything in this world tells us to look out for number one, ourselves, before anyone else. We are constantly bombarded with messages that if you don’t look out for you no one else will. Sure, these are not the only messages out there. There are messages of love, hope and helping hands, but are these the messages that are getting the most attention? I would submit that they are not. Just scroll through your Twitter timeline or Facebook newsfeed on any given day and you will see one, if not many tweets and posts about how you should trust no one. Or, everyone is out to get you. Or, you better do whatever you have to do to get ahead because no one has your back. While I agree that there are very untrustworthy people in the world, our trust should not be in man anyway. Our hope and trust should be in God. And, when we hope and trust in God, we cannot subscribe to the theory that we must scratch and claw our way to the top with total disregard for anyone who gets stepped on along the way. Rather God wants us to stop thinking about ourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. As a writer and songwriter, I have tried to ask many people for help. I have sought out people who have walked the path that I am trying to take to ask for advice, or to listen to my music, or to point me in the right direction in the pursuit of my dreams. It was my thought process that any Christian writer or artist would be more than willing to take a few moments to help someone with the desire to uplift the Kingdom. In reality, I rarely receive a response. And, that is fine because my confidence is not in mankind; just because someone is a Christian, it does not mean that they are not looking at you as competition. Eventually, God will lead me to someone who believes in the principle of forgetting yourself long enough to lend a helping hand. Furthermore, knowing what it feels like to be ignored or rejected by people for whose craft I have a great deal of respect, teaches me to never treat anyone else that way; to put others ahead of myself. This is the reason I write what is on my heart to share and I offer it to the world for free. It is not mine to begin with; it all belongs to God, and, as such, if I can share what He gives me in an effort to help others succeed, then I am reaching my goal. Would it be nice to be a New York Times best-selling author or a Grammy-winning, platinum-selling songwriter? Absolutely! Do I desire those things? You bet I do, but not at the expense of forgetting my fellow brothers and sisters because I am too wrapped up in myself. It is more important to me to share God’s gifts than to attain a title (I am sure I will be tested on this later). When it comes to the things you desire, are you willing to spare any cost to get them? Does it matter if you lose friends? Does it matter if you lose respect? Does it matter if you make those who respect you feel that they are not worth your time? God doesn’t give us dreams, gifts and talents, so we can hoard worldly riches and close the doors behind us. He blesses us to be a blessing to others, even if it means we help them get everything we want before we get it. Who’s timing is best? Yours or God’s? Tomorrow, I will finish this discussion of how to get everything you want in life, so stay tuned…Ms. EV I spend a lot of time reflecting on my life, not dwelling, but taking glimpses in the past to see what worked and what did not. Not only and I trying to avoid my past mistakes, but I am also looking for how the lessons I have learned can be a blessing to someone else. When I see someone headed down a familiar path, I cannot just stand by and watch them step in front of an oncoming train of heartache and disappointment. I feel I have to say or do something to get his or her attention. Now, I have learned that the person will not always listen to me, which is fine, hurtful, but fine. Sometimes in life we have to learn lessons for ourselves in order for them to stick. I mean, honestly, I don’t always listen to my warnings, so I can be mad when someone else ignores me. Nevertheless, I hope this blog will continue to help me and will help someone else who is trying to stay on the path to his or her dreams because I have discovered how to get everything you want in life.
Step One: Offer honor and respect where it’s due Step Two: Believe in God’s Word [O]ur God’s Word stands firm and forever. …Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of My mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. Isaiah 40:8; Isaiah 55:10-11 MSG Many people are used to empty promises. We have either made them or gotten them from others. The beauty of being a child of the Most High King is that everything God says, He does. His Word is bond. God cannot lie and He cannot fail. So, why is it so hard to believe what He says and take Him at His Word? We seem to have no problem in believing the claims of promotional products or prominent public figures. Yet, we question the God who has kept every promise He has ever made. If we want to get everything we desire in life, we must believe God’s Word is true. This is not just about the promises written in the Bible, this is also about believing the promises that God has written on your heart. If you have a dream that you have walked away from because you felt that you could not accomplish it, yet it seems the dream will not die, there is a good chance that God placed that desire within you. He does not want you to give up on that which He has promised you, God wants you to believe in His promises and lean on Him. You do the possible and He will do the impossible. I shudder to think about how many times I was on the brink of achieving a goal and I gave up a moment too soon because I did not trust that God had my best interests in mind. When God breathes a dream, a promise into us, it is not meant to wither and die. It will not leave you empty-handed, or worse yet, empty-hearted. Let God’s Word work in and through your life. If you are not sure if your dream is a self-made dream or a God-breathed promise, compare it to His Word. God’s will for your life and His Word will never contradict one another. If your dream allows you to honor and respect God, first and foremost, and build up His Kingdom, don’t put it down because you can’t accomplish it on your own. That is exactly where God wants you to be. He needs us to get to the end of ourselves, so that we must trust and believe in His Word. After my book, Pray While You’re Prey, did not meet the goals I felt it should meet, I not only gave up on the book. I gave up on writing altogether. The desire to write persisted, but I thought that if no publisher would publish my and if people didn’t buy my books, then my writing was worthless and pointless. I gave up. But, I felt even more empty after I quit writing. I also felt overwhelmed because God was pouring wisdom into my spirit. Some was just for me, but some was meant to be shared. And, I, because things weren’t going my way, chose to believe Satan’s lies rather than God’s Word, so I had given up on writing, which was the very outlet that God had given me. It was one way in which He would use me. Once I started believing that writing was a dream God had placed on my heart again. He showed me how I could use the gift. Now, I feel full, closer to Him, and I am not burdened with too much information or with feeling like a failure. I believe that every word God gives to me has a purpose. I do not need to know that purpose; I just need to believe in God’s Word enough to allow Him to use me. What have you given up on because you don’t believe God can make it happen? Whose words do you believe over Gods? Family? Friends? Strangers? Satan? There is no one who will be 100% real with you the way God can. So, if you want to get everything you want in life, you have to believe in God’s Word. Tomorrow, I will continue with this discussion of how to get everything you want in life, so stay tuned…Ms. EV I spend a lot of time reflecting on my life, not dwelling, but taking glimpses in the past to see what worked and what did not. Not only and I trying to avoid my past mistakes, but I am also looking for how the lessons I have learned can be a blessing to someone else. When I see someone headed down a familiar path, I cannot just stand by and watch them step in front of an oncoming train of heartache and disappointment. I feel I have to say or do something to get his or her attention. Now, I have learned that the person will not always listen to me, which is fine, hurtful, but fine. Sometimes in life we have to learn lessons for ourselves in order for them to stick. I mean, honestly, I don’t always listen to my warnings, so I can be mad when someone else ignores me. Nevertheless, I hope this blog will continue to help me and will help someone else who is trying to stay on the path to his or her dreams because I have discovered how to get everything you want in life.
Step One: Offer honor and respect where it’s due No other gods, only me. …Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God… Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you. Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.” Deuteronomy 20:3-5, 12 MSG; Ephesians 6:1-2 MSG In this world, we offer honor, respect and admiration to a lot of people, but it’s usually people who have never and will never do anything for us. We respect athletes, musicians, actors, and even pastors, more than we honor those whom God has commanded us to honor. When I look at my life, the times I was successful versus the times of frustration and failure, I can clearly see that in the prosperous times, I was honoring God above anyone else. And, as a consequence of that, I was respecting my parents and their wishes. I did not always agree with what they asked me to do. In fact, there were times I resented both God and my parents for their “rules,” which were clearly designed to suck all of the fun out of my life (read that last line with the sarcasm that it was intended to have). I think that what many of us fail to realize is that God is not kidding when He says He is a jealous God. God is not going to stand by and allow His children to place false gods before Him. If you are not getting what you want out of life, step back and consider whether or not you are putting anything or anyone before God, including and especially yourself. Are you honoring God with every aspect of your life? Are you giving Him praise for achievements and accomplishments or are you taking all of the credit? Are you considering how your goals and actions affect the Kingdom of God? Because the Word of God says to seek His Kingdom first, and yet, many times, we seek adoration rather than offering it to the One who makes our very existence possible. In addition to God’s command to love Him more than anything. He also said to honor our parents. You have no idea how many times I have heard a child say (of their parents or teachers), “If they want respect; they need to give respect!” And, bless their hearts, they think that they are standing on good footing when they say it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have met some horrible parents and we all probably know parents that either should not be parents or whose children should not follow in their footsteps. Nonetheless, children must still honor or respect their parents, as instructed by God, and it does not stop when you turn eighteen and think you are grown. I was awesome at respecting my parents while I was in their house. That is not to say that I was perfect, but I tried to be as obedient as I could. Oh, but when I left home and became an adult, I started to think that my parents knew nothing! They didn’t know what was best for me. This was my life! And, when I look back at the brightest times of my life, they were the times when I lived my life in a way that showed respect for my parents. Likewise, when I think of the darkest times of my life, they were the times when I treated my parents as if they were out to get me rather than trying to guide me. I understand that I have a unique situation with saved, Godly, married parents. Parents are not always easy to get along with, even in my Huxtable-esque family, but they are always to be respected. Not to the point where you place them on a higher pedestal than God (because I have caught myself doing than a time or two), but we should respect and honor God and our parents if we wish to get everything we want in life. Tomorrow, I will continue with this discussion of how to get everything you want in life, so stay tuned…Ms. EV |
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