A Reminder...

As a single woman, i'll admit that I do get a little discouraged when I think about future relationships. Its hard to imagine that someone will pursue me with God at the forefront of their mind. I can't seem to grasp that a man will desire to love me like Christ loved the church; seeing not only a pretty face, but the worth that has sculpted (and will continue to sculpt) my inward parts exposing a beauty so rich and vibrant. Im awestruck at the fact that in this relationship God will be put first, and as we grow closer to Him we will grow closer to each other. We will share Christ's love, and use that love to help support each other in times when we are weak. It seems a little strange that someone will love me for who I am...flaws and all, embracing every part of me. Giving me the opportunity to totally be myself, a mess sometimes but totally together in Christ. I cant seem to take in that the same twinkle in his eye that was there in the beginning will still be there years later. Whew...

Although all this may seem hard to grasp, imagine, and take in...its so very real. It will happen...it is happening.

Everyday we get to experience that "future relationship" with God. We get to embrace the love that He constantly pours out on us. We get to feel loved, cared for, and treated like a queen.

I encourage you ladies to see God differently. He is not something that we praise only on Sundays. Everyday is a day to worship and praise our God. He will fulfill more than an earthly relationship ever will..He pursues us, thinks about us constantly, and has a permanent twinkle in His eye for us. 

So ladies when you're feeling blue & your hope is sinking...lift up your head and make contact with your Savior. He's there...waiting on you to run into His arms. Let us enter into that "future relationship" now with God. 

push through the hard times..the reward is far greater on the other side of the pain ....spread your wings ladies

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

Hello Ladies and Happy Thanksgiving

Note: I actually wrote this on Thanksgiving Day, but in all the madness of cooking and fellowshipping I didn't get a chance to upload. Nonetheless everything still applies :)

I woke up this morning and it felt like Christmas...I have been give so much. Ladies, WE have been given so much. Let us dig deep today ladies, and not only thank God for what we can see but for what He has done spiritually. When we really think about our blessings...our family, our friends, our health, careers, our life, etc. we can see God working though every nook and cranny of these areas.

He is the glue that holds us together and keeps us going each day, even when we feel as though we're not going to make it through. He is our comforter when words cannot explain what we are feeling. He grips us and never lets us go, even when we wander from His presence. He is our source, the love of our life! Let us thank God for those things.... for His unchanging nature. Think how our life would change if even for a split second God changed, or if He withdrew His love.... scary huh. So lets pour out thanksgiving for where we are currently because of his grace and mercy, and for his presence that was inserted in us when His son breathed His last. And for him being just being God. 

Have some quite time in the midst of all the craziness that is thanksgiving and worship God. Worship him for the special unique gifts that he has given you. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 explains that we are all given gifts unique to us. Verse 11 exemplifies that God has gifted us individually. He doesn't give out random gifts that he "hopes" will fit us. He knows it will. You might not know what the gift is at this current time, but praise Him anyway for placing something big inside (God doesn't give small gifts). Thank Him for giving you the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else, to help build His kingdom. 

Thank God for the tough times, the hard times, and the times it felt as though you we're being crushed. It was in those times that your faith was strengthened, and you were drawn closer to Him. You realized that you needed Him the most, and your life should be centered around Him. 

We are so very blessed ladies spiritually and physically. Take some time and thank Him today.  

Spread your wings ladies, you'll be amazed at what you can do once you take flight...

You're anchored in God, not your feelings

Hi ladies the other day I encountered something freeing and wanted to share with all of you. 

As I was completing my morning routine I looked in the mirror and didn't feel pretty. My hair wasn't quite working with me, and I just felt kind of blah. Which isn't a good feeling. This "blah" feeling can marinate and sink down into the crevices of my entire day, ruining it before it begins. That "blah" feeling shook me, and I was not looking forward to the remainder of the morning let alone day. But something rushed to me in that moment of weakness, and I knew it was God. He reassured me, telling me that although I didn't feel pretty at the moment the feeling could not destroy the fact that I am beautiful. That fleeting feeling couldn't tear down the truth that was set forth even before I was born. Which explains that I am made in His image (Genesis 1:27). What is more beautiful than that? Its solid, lasting, and truthful, unlike the lies the enemy tries to convince us to believe. 

The enemy is conniving and will try everything within his might to get us distracted, turn a beautiful day into what feels like a death sentence, and leave us feeling empty. However no matter what "feeling" the enemy tries to throw on us know that we are anchored in the Lord.  Nothing, I mean absolutely nothing can tear us away. He cannot strip away our beauty, our worth, or our heart, because all these things are found in Christ as are we. And we know that no one can destroy Christ, death doesn't even stand a chance. This doesn't mean that he will not try and attack in an attempt to thwart the plan of God. So we must be ready. Ephesians 6: 11 teaches us that we must, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil". So know that there will be attacks and at times we will feel as though the enemy is stealing every precious thing from within us, but despite the feeling we can stand firm and "in all circumstances take the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil on" (Ephesians 6:24). I encourage you sisters to talk back and fight those feelings with the word of God ( which is the sword of the Spirit- Ephesians 6:17), refute what the devil is trying to place in you. Spend time in the Word so when the attacks come you will be ready. 

So ladies when the devil tries to attack you with false words look past them and see God, see His truth, and His word. It's easy to give into the enemy and believe the lies-trust I know- but fight through it. The devil wants so much for us to be passive, but this Christian life is not that. I've learned this past week that we must be intentional in our walk with Christ, if we want to have a relationship with God we have to work at it. If we want to rise up over the devil we must attack Him with the Word, just like our Savior did. Don't let your feelings sway you and lead you down the wrong path, rise above them and be led by God instead. The feelings might not go away as quickly as you would like, but know that each time you speak the word and call upon the name of Jesus it will have to erode. 

 Let us live beyond those feelings even if it hurts to do so

Move, Go, Do

So here I am; another day where I don’t physically feel like writing, but I feel something urging me to start. Not a pressing urgency but an ever so slight nudge that makes me decide in spite of my feelings. Decide, and then wait for my feelings to catch up. It’s uncomfortable yielding to the spirit when my flesh has always gotten its way. However, if I don’t start to obey God in the small promptings how will I obey or even hear when he calls me to step out on faith.

Unlike the other day, there is nothing pouring out of me…

I do have many thoughts swarming around in my head. Thoughts about being bold for Christ and sharing his word with other believers, the awesome message that was preached today- that explained we must look at our suffering through the lens of the gospel-, and going deeper in my faith and exploring the truth that is laid before me.

 I have been praying to God about most of these thoughts.  Praying that he would take me deeper, for me to step out and be bold for Him. To share the gospel with those who are far away from Him, and to present His raw truth to the world, especially to young women. Something that I read today in a blog helped me to see everything that God lays on my heart to do will not simply be set in my hands.

I want so much to share Christ’s love with young women, and let them know that within the love will be a satisfaction so filling they will not want to chase after the world, their flesh, or guys. Like I mentioned before, God will not simply place the “Promised Land” in my hands, I will have to journey towards it just as the Israelites did.

God proposed a question to me today. He asked, “When the opportunity comes will I be prepared?” Prepared to share scriptures, open myself and expose my scars to reveal that God heals, and have an open heart and ear to those begging to release their pain. Although I am progressing towards that mark, and will never fully ‘arrive’ until I am one with my Savior, I have much work to do. I seemed to think that if I had a burning desire (a desire that aligned with God’s desire) that He would simply give it to me with no work involved. Crazy I know.  I don’t want God to give me what I desire and not be prepared. It would be like sitting down in front of a plate of food and not having the tools to get it from the plate to my mouth.

In order for the desire to produce fruit I need to match that desire with willingness. A willingness to search and know the scriptures even when that desire is no longer there, and when I feel like sinking down into a disposition of complacency. A willingness that leads me to cry out on behalf of others to the Lord. A willingness that nudges me to spend time with God so I will know His truth for myself. Then take that willingness and do: Pray, Read, Study, and Share the Word. I must actively do each and every day God puts air in my body. Not simply for my sake, but for the young women of this world. The young women who need a word of encouragement, a sister who is not afraid to share the gospel with them, and a seed planted or watered. This is what I am here for, and if I wait for God move without any action on my behalf then I will never get there.

I know that God is answering my prayers, but in a way that I never imagined. He is saying, “Here you are Chanale; the path is set before you. You may know not know every turn, or how long each season will be, but that’s ok. All I want you to do is walk MY path. I have given you what you desired, it’s all here even if you don’t physically see; trust me. “ I have been praying and wondering why the Lord hasn’t answered my prayers, but He has. I just have to walk it out. It may not look exactly how I envisioned, but it will be just right for me. It may not be easy, but it won’t be anything that I cannot bear.

We must walk the path that God has set before us, and develop spiritually so we will produce good fruit. Let us move, go, and then do on behalf of the Lord. Let us fly closer today ladies! 

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, [a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3: 12-14, NLT)

When you cant see what’s ahead…

SideNote: Its funny that I titled this article, ‘When you cant see what’s ahead…’ because I didn’t really see what was ahead in terms of this article (isn’t that so fitting). I had it in my mind that I was going to write about a particular topic: trusting God when you can’t see the routes in between your start and your finish. But when I started to write it got hard…real fast, like there was literally a roadblock preventing me from going into that direction. So I gave up and continued my previous writing flow. God just wanted me to write… so I did, and this is what came out.

I don’t feel like writing, but something is whispering ever so quietly to open up my computer and type. So after trying to compromise by reading, and opening up my journal, I obeyed.

So here I am, and to tell you the truth I feel kind of yucky. I feel as my work day wasn’t as it should have been; it was one of those unproductive feeling days. Where I was running around touching this and touching that, but never completing one thing. I didn’t really get to check anything off of my to-do list…I don’t like having those days, days where things are left unfinished. Its like trying to smooth my fro into a ponytail and there are a million frizzy pieces sticking out everywhere: annoying. I like for things to be neat and organized, and I like to think I’m that way (at least in my head).  I like to be able to work through one project before moving to the next, and not have two or more on my plate while there are others on deck. However that’s not how things work, I would never finish what is assigned for me to finish if I worked the way I wanted. Projects would begin to back up and deadlines would push me against the back wall. Talk about stressful. So I have to move out of my comfort zone, out of what has become second nature. I have to step into a place where I will be challenged, tested, and stripped of my impurities. This is scary for me; it doesn’t feel good to be corrected, to hear the truth, or to be stretched. To put myself out there in a vulnerable state, where I will make mistakes, where I wont always hear good job, and possibly could be rejected. I like to play it safe, so that I wont have to deal with those unwanted feelings.

This is the same way I am with my faith to a certain degree. I like to play it safe, because it doesn’t feel good to be rejected, to be put in the spotlight where people can clearly see my imperfections, and where people wont always say “good job” for following Christ. I’ve been asking the Lord to help me step out of this, and to be bold for him.  And through this writing I can understand that I must just do it (I keep thinking that there will be one opportune time where it will be like ta-daaaa). I will not be able to accomplish the work that God has put within me if I don’t step out of my comfort zone, out of what has become second-nature. I can’t do what I have always done if I want to grow closer, go deeper, and truly live for him. Just as I have to stop doing things so that I can close the gap, I must start doing things as well. I have to step into a place where I will be challenged, tested, and stripped of my impurities. Yes its scary, it’s downright terrifying, but if God has called me to it He will help me through it.  I need it though, I need to step out; I’ve reached capacity in my comfort zone and its time to step out on faith.

If I wanted to be promoted I would have to capitalize on opportunities where I could lead, I would have to step up and take the steps to become a leader. This won’t happen if I continue to simply follow and expect people to lead me around everywhere. Yes there will be risks if I step out, but the reward will be far greater. I have to do the same with my faith in order to grow; God wants me to be mature. The author of Hebrews mentions that in order to have spiritual growth we must eat solid food. We must go from milk to solids, babies to the mature.  Hebrews 5:14 explains that, “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” I have to train; I have to allow God to build my inner strength and to keep moving when my flesh feels its time to stop. Which means I have to dig deeper and move past my emotions, and obey the promptings of the Lord even when I feel like I will be laughed at.

Hebrews 6:3 “And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.”

Thoughts on singleness

Recently (late last night/early this morning) my mind has been revolving around being single. Amongst a myriad of thoughts and numerous words composed to God I have come to some conclusions: I don't want my life to revolve around being single. I don't want to live life and be known as a single, but as a daughter of Christ who longs and craves more of her father. 

Im not saying that I don't want to be married, or that I don't need to understand why I am single, BUT I don't want this word to define me or to control me. I want to live on fire for God, and not be trapped in the "single box" like its some disease or illness. I look at this world and see a ferocious cyclone that seeks to consume me and throw me into the repetitious cycle: enter this world, go to school, date, go to college, date, get a job, date, get married, have children, retire, die. Where singleness is a time where you should be out researching the next guy to date and out of your entire life should only be a small aspect. I desire something different; I want to attack this world at a different angle, where I am pursuing Christ and can be comfortable with just Him. I want my foundation and core to consist of nothing but Christ. I admit that as I write these word that I begin to think will this mean that I will never be married??? I do desire to enter into a relationship and then marry a man that pushes me closer to Christ and where I do the same for him; however, I don't want them to come before Christ. I also want God's will to be done in my life, so I am trusting that He will lead me in the right direction. 

There are blogs that dig deeper into what I am expressing and are a good read. Take the time to read them and explore how you view being single. (The list is not in any type of order).

1. "The Idol of 'I Do."-Lauren DeMoss

2. Stop waiting. Start Living - Lauren DeMoss.

3. The reason my heart is divided- Fabs Harford

Spread your wings sisters and fly a little closer to God today, give Him your entire life and let Him use it. Give Him your dreams and deepest desires and watch Him work. 

During Those Silent Times...

During this season in my life I feel so far from God; I've been yearning to hear His voice. I desire for Him to speak to me, to direct and guide me. I don't sense Him near me, and honestly its scary at times. However during this season of my life I am becoming increasingly sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I am acknowledging that God is present in every area of my life. Its not easy, but it will prove to be beneficial in the future...

Its comforting when I know that God is right by my side when He is speaking to me daily. Its like when your learning to ride a bike for the first time. You get on the bike without training wheels, and your mom, dad, sister, brother or whoever is teaching you has their hands on the bike and they are right there with you. You feel secure; whatever happens you know that you will be ok. You sense them near you; they're so close you can feel their presence. But then they let go, and you look back and realize that they aren't holding on anymore. What happens...you get scared and the bike gets a little wobbly. In the beginning of my relationship with God He felt so close. He would speak and it was like being at a surprise birthday party each time....simply amazing. As I grew, I believe God began to take the training wheels off, and began to take His hands of of my "bike". When my parents took their hands off they did not leave and say, "Well I'm through training you, I'm gone." They stayed near, watching. They were close enough to where if I needed them they were right by my side. Our father does the same. In certain seasons God becomes silent or His voice isn't as loud as it use to be. It might feel like He has left you, like He doesn't love you anymore, or doesn't believe in you. This is not the case at all; the fact is you're growing...you're maturing. He wants your faith to grow, and to take you to another level. Just think if you never took your training wheels off your bike, and always had to have someone running behind you with their hands on the bike. You would never grow, you would never get to the point where you could step out on faith. You would only trust if someone was right there with you. God wants you to do great things with your life, and you won't be able to experience great heights if you don't have unshakable faith. Praise Him! Know during these silent times God is maturing you, helping you to grow. He never leaves you, because He always lives within you. Romans 8:11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ form the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you" Yes its scary to not hear from your creator, your father, or your husband (Isaiah 54:5), but know that God is right there by your side. This is a time to grow closer and deeper, so that you will be able to hone in on His whisper.

God doesn't always shout out everything on a mountaintop, at times He whispers. This is a hard concept for me to understand at times. I want God to tell me my purpose, what direction I should take with my life, and pour into me everything that I want to know. But He doesn't, and its aggravating and frustrating. Although He doesn't tell me what I want to hear, He is still speaking. I can become so focused on hearing what I want to hear that I block out His whispers. I ignore when He tells me to do something simple as getting up earlier so I will be on time, or getting gas before I get on the highway. But then get disappointed because I don't think He is speaking to me. God doesn't only speak profound things to you, He speaks to you on a daily basis. I was at the point where I thought I could handle those certain aspects of my life on my on. However, if I don't listen to God when He tells me simple things how can He trust that I will listen when He tells me my purpose, or when its time to turn right or left. So during those silent times make sure that you draw closer to God, pour into Him. I admit that during silent times its easy to become complacent. However, in order for us to go higher and not quench his voice we have to push and keep striving. We have to pray, journal, spend time in His Word, even if we don't think it won't do any good. Although it may feel a certain way, God is still working and moving. We can't afford to give up or separate ourselves from the Holy Spirit; silent times are an opportunity to cling tighter so we wont miss Him!

Trust that God hears you. He knows your yearnings and your desires. But, are you listening to Him when He whispers? Luke 11:28 "Jesus replied, But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice"