The Real Me

Dedicated to MY Friend, Prophetess Arlette Willis ~ Our friendship is a covenant made by the Father himself. Congratulations on your Album Debut ~ May you continue to blossom and release the fresh aroma of the Spirit of the Lord!!  I love you more than words can say...Happy Birthday! Your forever Friend When I awoke this morning my heart was very heavy. I found myself struggling with insecurities and inefficiencies in reaching the “mark” (Philippians 3:14). It was so heavy that I didn’t want to even to approach the Father in prayer. I felt like the prophet Isaiah when He said, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips...” (Isaiah 6:5) . The Lord was not unaware of my feelings, nor is He unaware yours. He knows that we all have moments such as this. After all He is a Holy God. However, we have to be careful that we don’t fall trick to the enemy in those times: his goal is keep you from t...

"The HEAVENS declare the GLORY of GOD; and the firmament shows  and proclaims His handiwork." Psalms 19:1 I absolutely LOVE to fly. From the take off to the landing, I just love it. And I love sitting over the wing. Don’t have a full reason why, I just like it for some reason. I like to watch all of the different flaps and gears being adjusted on the wing as the pilot prepares the aircraft for takeoff (call me weird –lol). I also like to sit at the window seat and look at the sky, just over the tip of the wing. I love the feeling of being taken off the ground during take-off. As the plane ascends into the air, it’s as if, the weight of the world drops off of it, and off of me too. It’s like I am suspended in the heavens with the angels.   Of course, I’m still surrounded by 10 tons of steel (lol), but you get what I’m saying. The higher the pilot goes the clearer the sky and the more pronounced is the sun. One of the most beautiful things about the ascending is the abilit...

“I’m walking on sunshine, oh-oh. I’m walking on sunshine, oh-oh. I’m walking on sunshine, oh-oh! And don’t it feel good?!” This song came to mind as I tried to think of words to describe what I’m feeling right now. The only difference is that I’m singing, SONshine, instead of sunshine. I mentioned on my last entry that I was headed to Dance Camp. I’ve attended this camp with our youth dance team, Wildfire, for three or four years now. Every year we come back exhausted from dancing (over 10 hours of dance training) all weekend and refreshed and inspired in our spirit from being in the presence of the Lord. This year was no different as far as physically…I’m exhausted. However, spiritually….the Father took me to another place. Normally when I go to dance camp, in addition to all of the administrative responsibilities, my focus is on Wildfire ministering under the anointing and power of God at the annual showcase. Much of my time and focus is on interceding in prayer, making sure costu...

To all those who comment on the blog, send me emails, and add Facebook updates….THANK YOU. I can’t always respond to everyone, but I do read everything. Please know that it’s encouraging to my soul and spirit. Please continue to pray for Albert and myself, and our children that we may continue to be used of God, for His Glory. Blessing!     Well, today is the day. Today I leave for dance camp and I am so excited. This will be the fifth year that I personally have attended this Christian Dance Camp ( Dance Revolution ). Every year it’s a press to get there, but always worth it in the end. The administrative work to get 30 people registered, transported, located in a room, and fed can be stressful enough to put a girl in a straight jacket. However, every year, after all is said and done, it turns out to be a great weekend. The power of God shows up and transforms my life, and the lives of all who attend.  I come back changed and on FIRE, in that order (lol). Sometimes I ...

“For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee” (Luke 4:10)   I used to get speeding tickets all the time when I live in Detroit years ago. I lived in the actual city, near the new center area and I used to travel two to three times a week to Troy, Michigan for dance lessons. I would take I-75 by storm, driving from E. Grand Blvd in Detroit to Crooks Road in Troy: all in about twenty minutes. For those of you who are not from Detroit, this meant I was driving way over the speed limit (lol): Not good at all. When I look back in hindsight I am so grateful for the loving protection and faithfulness of the Lord. I was reckless and foolish and I KNOW there were angels watching over me. I am so thankful that the Father God doesn’t reward us according to our iniquities (Psalms 103), but rather He extends His grace and love toward us, even when we’re on the nut. I don’t know if it was my young age, lack of skill, or both, but I was always getting pulled ov...

I love King David and the book of Psalms. Whether I am rejoicing, crying, hurting, disappointed, dismayed, discouraged, inspired or excited, I can always find a Psalm that speaks to my heart. Maybe because David was a warrior and a worshipper, two things that I can really relate to...whatever the reason, I love the writer and the book.  I love the fact that I can find scriptures from thousands of years ago that relate to me and any situation that I may be facing in 2010. Imagine that?! It baffles the mind to think of how things have advanced since the time of Jesus. Can you imagine life before television, telephones, cell phones, laptops and computers? Yet, His Word has stood the test of time and is still able to transform lives. The Word of God is living and is powerful to save to the utmost (Hebrews 4:12). Hallelujah! As I began to write this morning one of my favorite Psalms rose up in my spirit. Before I knew it I was speaking, and eventually writing out the whole Psalm. I...

The Lord speaks to me all the time. It is not unusual for us to talk and commune throughout the day. Sure, most of the time, it’s me expressing my opinion on how I think things should be in my life and how fast I think that He should be doing it (lol, but it’s still communion with Him. I am thankful that He is always so patient and kind to me, listening to my heart, and at times, my folly. To be honest with you I think my heavenly Father has a sense of humor. I really think He looks down on me some days and just cracks up, and I am sure that I give Him plenty to laugh at. In December of last year the Lord spoke a word to me during a worship service at my church. I heard Him say, “You are my battle-axe!” (Jeremiah 51:20). Then He showed me a vision of a large well-built warrior wielding a huge axe, cutting down, what looked like tall, brown, dried grass or reeds. This was such a heavy word and I did not take it lightly. I did not share it with anyone at first, because I was seeking th...

It's Monday .....pray for a sistah!! One of my favorite television series is called Burn Notice, a series on the USA network. The show is about a former CIA operative, Michael Westin, who has been given a “burn notice", which simply means, he was fired and is no longer allowed to work for the CIA. The weekly series is about him trying to find out who fired him and why and his attempt to get back into the CIA agency. There’s so much more to the show, but I will not attempt to explain the whole synopsis. Feel free to explore for yourself at www.burnnotice.usanetwork.com . My husband and I were watching the most recent show on yesterday. The main character, Michael, had messed up with his two partners: Fiona, his girlfriend, and Sam, his best friend. An old acquaintance of Michael’s suddenly showed up, wreaking havoc, and causing trouble, pushing him to compromise some of his standards as a spy. His two partners could see that this was a cantankerous relationship for him, even...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I wanted to write something creative and romantic that would describe how much I love those who are closes to my heart. However as I'm sitting here, thinking about those that I love ~ my husband, my children, my brothers & sisters, my MOM, and all of my spiritual daughters (and you know who you are) ~ I can't seem to find the right words. Love encompasses so much. It can be complicated, yet so simply. Using words to describe it, almost diminishes it. I didn't want to quote a scripture (which was my first thought), lest you think I'm just a religious nut. I was going to try to find a song or poem that expressed my heart. Finally, I decided that I just be who I am....this is The Real Me blog, right?!  Here's a few of my description of true Love: For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)  Though I speak with the t...

There’s nothing like being in the presence of the Lord. It is so refreshing to your soul and spirit. In His presence I find solace, peace, joy, forgiveness and restoration and there is a love so pure that it is tangible, surrounding and embracing me, bringing comfort and security to all that concerns me. It is in His presence that I come back to the Cross at Calvary and realize His great love for me. It is in His presence that my mountains become pebbles of sand as I am reminded of His great majesty and awesomeness…..there is none like you, O Lord. “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11) Since I started this blog, three weeks ago, the spiritual warfare in my life has increased tremendously. The more I share, the more I am challenged to walk by the spirit of the Lord. The more I realize that I this is not a game, that our enemy is real, but our God is greater!!! Yesterday, I was blinds...

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see   When you look at me   You're turning the tattered fabric of my life  Into A perfect tapestry   (excerpt lyrics from The Real Me ) I can’t! I can’t change it! No matter how hard I desire it, think on it, dwell on it, look at pictures, talk to friends, and even pray over it. I can’t change it! My past is written in eternity and there’s nothing I can do to make it different. My life has been no bed of roses, but when I look in hindsight I can clearly see the grace of the Father swirling through all of the ups and downs that have come my way. The one thing, or should I say, the one person that has been a constant voice of peace, grace, and mercy has been my mother, Dorothy Custard. This is a woman who brings me to tears at the thought of her. Not because she’s my mother (that’s a part, too), and not because she’s been perfect, but because she gave me the gift of life: my natural life, as well as, my spiritual one. My mother...

I was lying in the bed awake early this morning, meditating on the word and talking to the Lord. I was going over a dream that I had that night (something I do every morning while things are fresh in my mind), listening for the Holy Spirit to reveal any issues of my heart, which are often revealed through my dreams….I am a work in progress (lol). I was also praising and thanking the heavenly Father for His faithfulness to Albert and me concerning our home. A few weeks back we had received a letter from our mortgage company, stating that we were delinquent in our payments and was on the verge of going into foreclosure, possibly losing our home. There had been an internal miscommunication within the company, but of course, when that happens, the burden of proof lies upon the customer. For two weeks the mortgage company had us jumping through hoops, some that we had already jumped through months prior. It was a very stressful process, not because of the things they had required of us, b...