You Live & You Learn

When I first became a teacher, I used to ask my students one simple question. What did you learn last year? Each year I had at least one person tell me nothing. I used to get annoyed with that response until the year that I taught half my students for the second year in a row. I stood in front of the class and asked the same question. What did you learn last year? Just like all of the years past, a few of them responded nothing.

What I gathered from their response was there was nothing about our time together that made a lasting impact on their lives. I could have been upset or hurt, but honestly we all have been in situations where we were being taught without actually learning anything.

This happens in our everyday lives and it certainly happens in what we call our spiritual lives. I will use myself as the example. I grew up a member of a church that valued having children involved in the ministry. We were taught different scriptures, bible stories, and Christian principles by which to live our lives. I heard what was being said. I could recall the information that I read and I certainly knew right from wrong. However, I wasn't actually learning anything because I was not living according to what was being taught.

I had a form of Godliness, but that was not living. That was existing. I existed by adding scripture and bible stories to my mental Rolodex. I existed by going to church and saying I believed in God. I existed by being nice to to people who I cared for and disregarding those that I did not. I cursed, drank, and did whatever I wanted. That is until realized that I had been existing and existing is living a life without a relationship with God. 

Existing is living a life that does not represent God's principles. Existing is knowing how to follow God and choosing instead to follow your own path. Existing is believing in the old adage you live and you learn instead of understanding that learning cannot take place until you are living in God.

Adayinthelife:-)

Against All Odds

Against all odds…

I’ve been here before

worry, despair, and depression

have knocked on my door.

I answered them once

I answered them twice

I opened my door to them

but I wasn’t little Ms. Nice.

What do you want?

What do you need?

Clearly you’re looking for someone

but it is not me.

I know that I let you in

a countless number of times before.

But, I’m stronger now and defeat

does not live here anymore.

My checking account says zero, 

but the water bill is due.

Add to that the mortgage, electricity,

and they want the car payment too.

But adversity, my God made me a promise

and I will share it with you.

He said,

I will never leave you

nor  forsake you.

Though, you may have troubles

in life to face.

Give no thought to tomorrow

that includes the bills that you have to pay.

If you deny yourself, take up your cross,

and only follow Me

I will be your guiding light.

I will supply all of your needs.

It doesn't matter that you lost your job.

It doesn't matter what the bank account has to say.

I, the Lord Your God, will sustain you.

Lean on me and I will make a way.

Tell worry there is no vacancy.

Tell despair there is no way it can enter the door.

Tell depression you are a tool of the enemy.

Don’t come around me anymore.

Then the Lord said,

Speak to your mountain

and tell it it has to move.

Believe the words as you say them Candy.

Trust Me to work through you.

Because you abide in Me, 

this much is true

whatsoever you ask of me

I will surely give to you.

I equipped David to slay Goliath.

I equipped Moses to part the Red Sea.

I equipped Jesus to survive temptation in the wilderness.

There is no adversity too hard for Me.

  

He said, 

believe the words I say to you Candy.

My words will never die.

Speak them to adversity when it comes to your door

No need to run and hide.

Boldly declare to your adversity

I am a child of the King.

Step away from my house you coward.

God has already won this battle for me.

Scripture reference:

Matthew 21:21

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Adayinthelife:-)

Where Is Your Value Established?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:26

I remember what it was like being the little dark skinned girl. I say dark skinned now, but at that time I was called black. Black was not a celebrated word. It was an accusation. It was a put down. It was the very thing that made me perceive myself as less than. I thought that because I was dark I was not as good as the light skinned girls.

You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many years of my life that line of thinking occupied. But I tell you, girls that grow up without a clear sense of their value become women who spend years trying to navigate the same things. The sad part is that no one has to grow up this way.

We have been provided the perfect guide book to help us establish value and self worth. The problem is we seldom use it. Imagine what it would be like if little girls understood how valuable they were to God. Imagine if they knew more about Proverbs 31:10 than they did the pages of Elle, Glamour, and Vogue. They would understand that God loves them more than life. He proved this by offering Jesus as the blood sacrifice. They would understand that He, not diamonds is their best friend. He will never leave or forsake them, but thin waists, perfect breasts, and hair surely will.

If we took the time to help our children understand that we are all God's peculiar treasure, they would know that cars, houses, and jewelry are of no consequence to the sons and daughters of the one who possesses both heaven and earth. 

If we trained children in the way that they should go, according to the teachings found in the book of Isaiah, our sons would exalt our daughters and our daughters would exalt our sons.

We have been provided the perfect guide book to help us establish value and self worth. Step one is to recognize that this book is the bible. Step two is to read and understand its word. And step three,which is my favorite, is to live like our value is established in it.

Adayinthelife:-)

T.CARR - "Raw Word" [Doubt No More.. The MixTape]

Just wanted to share the hot new single from T. Carr. Enjoy!



Adayinthelife:-)