Emotional Equilibrium

  
Friendly Tip: “Reclaim Your Emotional Equilibrium”

 
About a week after giving birth to LeReine, I had this overwhelming feeling of anxiousness because I was excited about being a mother. I felt like I had finally accepted (well somewhat accepted) that my life would look very differently forever.

 
When I thought about my future with LeReine, I was overjoyed! I experienced so much joy that I wanted to cry.  

 

Wait, have you ever experienced being so overjoyed that you wanted to cry? Did you over analyze the situation? Yes this was my moment too.

 
Frankly, I wanted to boooo-hooo! When I thought about this level of crying I started to over analyze why I was crying, then I tried to hold back the tears. I quickly realized that crying was necessary at this particular time. So guess what? I cried…I probably cried for an entire day, maybe an entire week. LOL.

 
You too will experience this same moment when you have given birth to your baby. You will experience a moment of joy and then you might feel like you need to cry. LET IT OUT! Cry.  

 

I learned that crying is not necessarily a sign of weakness, it is actually a sign that you need to “Reclaim Your Emotional Equilibrium.” For some reason, I was afraid of crying (maybe because of my A-Type personality). You too might feel like you don’t want to cry; and you need to, so cry it out!
 

Ask GOD for the answers. He will let you know if it is time to rebalance your emotions. When you do, you will find rest in him. Until next week,

 

Good Night Friend.

Lereca Monik 

 
Scripture Reading: Psalms 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

 
Friendly Activity: This week get alone and ask GOD to show you what you need to release. Give yourself permission to cry it out. Journal the experience.    

Foster To Favored

  

Most foster care children are abandoned, neglected, and physically and/or emotional abused. When you spend one day in foster care- you are labeled a foster care child. Your future is predestined for you. Statistics tell us that foster care children will be welfare dependent, juvenile delinquents, single parents, uneducated, homeless, and drug addicts.

Unfortunately, for years I never wanted to share this truth because of the stigma. WHY? People think foster care children are dangerous, stupid, thieves, and liars. That is not true. Foster care children were hurt or experienced some form of neglect at a very early age. It is not their fault. 

To all the foster care parents, sometimes people treat you differently as well. Here’s my public statement of saying THANK YOU. Thank you so much for showing your undying love to children that feel unloved, unwanted, and abandoned.  
I am so glad that I stopped labeling myself as only a foster child to being GOD’s favored child. My personal transition was not easy; but through it all, I learned to see myself how GOD sees me and I learned to love myself.  

I am also glad that I have been able to mentor other young girls along the way. Precious, I am so proud of you! This is WHY I SMILE!

        ~Lereca Monik 
#11AMSmile #LearningToLoveYourself #anewme #anewyou #lerecasmiles #itstimeforachange #liverestored #maven2016 #youreign

Your Masterpiece

  
Good Morning,
I am so grateful that I’ve made it here.  
I am so happy that I am willing to share my imperfections with you. People often judge people based on how they look, the character that’s portrayed, or the story we form based on our personal perception of them. 

Many of us are not comfortable with acknowledging our truths or hidden secrets. Some of us go to sleep every night with some form of struggle. Some of us are dealing with baggage and issues that stem from our past like: addictions, mommy/daddy problems, mental health/suicidal concerns, poverty mentalities, physical ailments, molestation, lack of self-esteem, anger, spiritual warfare, generational bondage, adulterous behaviors, bitterness, jealousy, worthlessness…..the list goes on and on.  
I want YOU to know. It will be okay. Do not let your HISTORY dictate your future STORY.   
As I invite you into another dimension of my life, I hope that my story will encourage or inspire you or at least change your perspective on sharing your story.    
For years, people would say “Lereca you are so beautiful. Lereca you have such a beautiful smile!” While I am so glad I am blessed with this smile, my smile was also something that I could project to hide my truths. Behind the smile, I was broken and I was a mess.  

My story is a story of struggle and strength, tests and testimony, fear and faith, problems and promise, and most importantly lust and HIS LOVE.

This is my public declaration of saying….BUT GOD! I am allowing him to turn my broken pieces into masterpieces. Make each day your masterpiece. 
 ~Lereca Monik 

Join me for Behind The Smile-this week at 11 am

#11AMSmile #LearningToLoveYourself #anewme #anewyou #lerecasmiles #itstimeforachange #liverestored #maven2016 #youreign

Come

  
God’s been asking me to come and be in His presence a lot lately.  

I’ve seen the word “come” so frequently in scripture, songs, my devotional and in my notes so much lately that I just can’t ignore it. 

I’m reminded how much God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He calls us by name! 

This song “Come Like The Wind” grabs me because it talks about how much WE want the Lord to COME TO US. 
See Lyrics below:

  

Anyway you want to show up God!  Just come on! 

Can I reassure you that God always makes a way to connect with us, to show up.  

He comes in whatever way we need Him because He knows what we need. 

He knows our deepest desires.  

He created us with our heart’s deepest longing to be in a intimate relationship with Him. 

Once we realize this and declare it, there is such a peace and so much freedom because we can always seek Him knowing He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

Let this song remind you of your true desire for Him and make it your declaration that whatever way He reveals Himself to you that you will take it! 

      ~Stephanie Wanic
Come connect with me on God’s Beauty Secrets Here

The Path

  
There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path….

                  ~Hephzibah Beulah 

• Connect more with Hephzibah Here

Down The Drain

  
Banging clanging and dust slanging had my nerves shot! 

Termites! 

Yes, those pesky critters have had a feast with my master bath tub and shower wall.

I had a crazy 2015 and I was hoping to have this all resolved before the New Year, but it turned out to be a bigger mess than originally thought so here I was day one of more contractors and repairs starting in our home.  

As the day wore on I had gone too long between meals and my blood sugar had run low along with my patience.   

The entire wall was a crumbling pile of sawdust all the way to the roof beams! 

My pockets had already been turned completely inside out and frayed with no chance of any more hidden coins when I heard the words, it is going to cost more….

More! 

I did not have MORE to give- no my frayed nerves were already teetering on a tight rope.

More money???? … Money has been flying out the window faster and more fierce than toto caught up in a tornado in Kansas. 

I was trying to stay in peace but was now doing the cha cha between panic and peace when my daughter calls to inform me that the sputters in the van that is now my twins car was acting up. 

I could feel the heat rising as I realized I had to call more, drive more, give more of myself … To yet something else on my already really full plate.  
As I am getting a ride home from my mechanic I just wanted to cry on the poor guys shoulder about my days woes.
He probably wondered why I was in such a catatonic state and not my usual Chatty Cathy bubbly self. 

My hubby was closing so he would not be home for multiple hours. That was probably a blessing for him. 

As I still let the time fill in with more to do’s instead of food…the perfect storm was brewing….. 

A full almost 12 hours later since the banging clanging dust slanging started and well….just too much crapola to mention, had all started and filled my day….

I snapped! 
I don’t mean just snapped…
I mean I really really REALLY snapped! 

I unloaded like a machine gun and yes there were a ton of unworthy words flying about. I screamed at my daughter, then I screamed at my son. I turned into a crazy blubbering idiot with my hands flailing in the air. If I had my van I would have run away but I just had our jeep and I was too weak to drive stick shift.  
So I just kept freaking out wondering if I started sobbing and rocking in the corner would it freak out my kids too much and how many years that would add to the years of therapy they will already need one day…when suddenly my daughter yelled –Stop!  

It temporarily snapped me back to reality and then I kept going until again sternly she scolded me with a simple, yet very loud –“Stop Mom! Stop this and go take a shower.”

So like a scolded 2 year old, shocked, I held my head and silently walked up the stairs to the extra bathroom and closed the door. I dropped all my clothes and jumped in the shower. As the hot water poured over my very greasy and dusty hair and my unstable nerves and my really low blood sugar had me twitching, I slowly poured the shampoo and wanted nothing more than to simply go right on down the drain with all the shampoo, soap, and water.   

I wanted all the days jacked up messes to just vanish right down the drain too! I no longer wanted to deal with anything. 

As I stood in the shower trying to figure out how in a split second I lost all control. I thought:

Really? Really Michelle? What in the world? Was all my great Christian witness nothing more than unworthy word wounds inflicted now on my children? Oh yeah, and how about a F Bomb dropping ordained minister? Yeah that goes over real well like a turd in the punch bowl…..How can I be living for God and doing the Lords work and completely just nut plum up? How can I serve anyone Lord when I can’t even serve my family very well? I blew it! 

So I repented to God for what I had done, what I wanted to do, and what I hadn’t done that I should have. I didn’t make excuses for my blood sugar or pretend I had no clue what in the world just happened.   

Nope, I just said “I blew it! Lord, I was not even glimmering this time. My Light was not shining for You. No it full on burned out. It was busted and shattered just like a too hot light bulb. Father, Forgive me, I chose to curse and rant and rave instead of take anything to You. It was 100% a choice I made to lose it and let my flesh rule.   

Newsflash:

I am not nor have I ever intended to give anyone the false assumption or impression that I have it all figured out perfectly because I am a Christian. I still fail and fall daily! I post a lot of encouraging and inspiring posts mostly from my own life experiences and love the Lord deeply and try to Love others well, but I still can choose fleshly sinful unworthy behaviors. But my God is big enough to handle and forgive them ALL! 

I got done and went to apologize another time to each of my kids and gave them both a great big hug and kiss and asked God not to have them spend too many years in therapy trying to undo all my messes. 

And as I prepared for bed I reflected on my stress filled day. I thanked God for not leaving me and that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. I also thought of the gurgling of the drain and envisioned every worry and sin of the day being all washed down the drain. Even the soap that really should have been put in my mouth!   

Thank you Lord for Your Amazing Grace and Mercy. Thank You Lord for loving this imperfect sinner perfectly. Thank You for New Mercies each day. Thank You that when we take it all to You, You wash it all down the drain too. 
        ~XXOO Michelle Bollom  

Got Joy?

  
Joy is mentioned over 150 times in the Bible. The verb Rejoice is mentioned over 200 times. 

I think God is trying to tell us something! 

God desires for us to be joyful, so He put joy in us.

 “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” John 15:11 (Amp.)

 The Disciples had joy. We read in Acts chapter 13 verse 52: “And the disciples were continually filled [ throughout their souls] with joy and the Holy Spirit.”

Is your Joy Tank running low? Is it empty? 

There is a way to fill it up again! 

In Psalm 16:11 it says, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

Fill it up by getting into God’s presence! 

Find some time to get quiet before the Lord. Talk to Him like you would a friend. Seek Him with all of your heart. You are His child and He WANTS to visit with you today and everyday. 

He wants to love on you and fill you with joy.

In God’s love,

Tracy Mason 

Thy Kingdom Come

  
The Lord’s Prayer is one of the best loved and most spoken prayers on the planet, it is also called Our Father and Pater Noster. This was taught by Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. This is so important, as it is the only prayer Jesus taught them. He said, Pray like this.

     The intention of our Savior was to transfer the kingdom from heaven to earth through believers – – referred by “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Matthew 6:10. 

    You may be thinking, oh my goodness that is a very big assignment for little ole me, and can I really live that way? I believe you can only live this way by knowing who you are — your true identity– through Christ Jesus!! It is a way of thinking and living your life from a place of knowing that Jesus, who lives in you, gives you everything you need to bring heaven to earth. It is seeking Him daily and learning and understanding His word and how it applies to you.
    Last week, I attended a conference in Ft. Lauderdale, called As One Movement (www.asonemovement.com). It was awesome!

I truly learned just what it means to bring the Kingdom from Heaven to Earth and it was such an amazing revelation, I challenge each one of you to explore just what this means. There were great speakers like Lance Wallnau (www.lancewallnau.com), Jerry Niswander and Paul Marc Goulet (www.ICLV.com) I will do my best to get you started on this journey by sharing some excerpts from the a book called THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM, written by Paul Marc Goulet.

    “Jesus goes on to tell Peter in Matthew 16:19 that, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
    Jesus proclaimed to Peter that, one day, he would receive the keys of the kingdom and he would have authority to bind and loose on earth just like He could in heaven. This promise was not just for Peter but for every believer who confesses Christ as Savior and Lord. That confession opens a massive portal of blessings and authority. 

    Jesus has the keys of the kingdom and He is willing to give them to every believer who wants to live a supernatural life, the keys were not just designed to build his church, they were designed to bring the kingdom of heaven to every life, every office, school, neighborhood, government and home. 
    When we make this type of heartfelt declaration Jesus starts the process of turning over the kingdom of heaven to us his heirs. The keys of the kingdom are real and their purpose is to unwrap the incredible gift that the Father wants to give to you because of his love. The keys of the kingdom unlock wealth, health, joy, peace and love which permanently dwell in heaven. They open the door that releases the atmosphere of heaven into a life and world so dark and polluted. Christ gives us keys that enable us to open the heavens in order to release angelic forces, creative powers and healing.
    Remember, it is the father’s will to give you the keys. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32.”

    I believe this prayer is a reminder for each one of us to bring the kingdom of heaven to our own life and take it with us everywhere we go throughout our day, changing the atmosphere and bringing in the light to the dark places. When we truly know our identity and what we carry, we can begin to change the world one step at a time!!

In love, 
Deb Hicks

http://www.bowlofsplendor.com

Harmony

  
Worthy Thought: 

Working together requires cooperation. 

It will solve many problems. 

Even freckles would form a nice tan if they would ever get together.~ Angela Lipe-Pattengill 

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony. 

Psalm 133:1

Love Overcomes Fear

  

The need to be loved and validated as worthy of something better was undeniable. Somehow, I knew finding a safe place (like church) would be the answer.

Between the ages of 17-21, I had lost three immediate family members. My mother was murdered, my mother’s younger brother was killed in a motorcycle accident and my Grandfather was killed while working under his truck. All three deaths were separate from each other, yet tragically unexpected.

And for a girl who had already lived life stripped and lost, the deaths of these closest loves ended up feeling like a confirmation of a generational curse bestowed upon me. The emotions this stirred up within me were chaotic and irrational. Nothing in life made sense.

Not only did the dysfunction of my childhood hinder me, so did the inability to understand the loss of my family members. It created a sense of powerlessness which controlled me with anxiety and fear.

For years, I couldn’t shake it. I lived in constant fear of a pending death of the next loved one. Who would be next was always a lingering question. 

It was a trigger that ignited a raging mess.

Eventually I was done feeling weak, being victimized by a fallen world. I was tired of living in the insanity of my emotions. Instinctively, I knew that finding a church, finding God, would ease the pain of my loss.

Anything had to be better than living numb and depleted. Though fear would go on trying to keep me captive, God started to reveal His goodness to my heart. The more I’ve learned about having a relationship with God, less fear controlled my circumstances.

Because I was bound by a misplaced loyalty to fear I hadn’t been able to trust or to learn about the freedom God desired for me. I was a prisoner of fear.  Ultimately, I had been led by the negative emotions instead of the loving heart of God. Fear had prevented me from moving forward into healing and the life He had created. It kept me from understanding God and the freedom he wanted to give me. And it stole much more. Years and relationships that were meant for His goodness were taken.
But God, with his gracious heart, pursued my broken heart. As my perception of who He was became my anchor, my heart softened. I began to believe and have faith in who He was and His word. I began seeing and experiencing new defining moments in life, ones not led by fear. They consisted of faith. At times, fear can still be my first reaction. But then I hear the whisper of God saying, “Fear not, I am with you.” My loyalty was once misplaced. Now, I lay it down at Jesus’s feet.

Whatever you may be facing today, rest knowing God is with you right now, waiting to walk with you through your circumstances. May you be blessed today.

        ~Baring His Beauty,

           Tiffany Thomas