Tearing Down The Wall

I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord.~ Ezekiel 13:14 

I heard a great message today about the walls that are created in relationships and within ourselves. I was reminded that even the veil that separated God’s presence from his people, in the temple, was torn in two at the moment of Jesus’s death. 

I couldn’t help but to think about the walls that I have built over the years. Barriers had kept me separated from my heavenly father and from the people in my life. I used the empty space as a shield before me, around me, and in between my heart and God’s. At times, I did this unknowingly and other times it was intentional. I was afraid and needed to keep people from getting too close. 

I knew about relationships; they hurt! It was easier to keep people at a distance than to let them in to access the sacred places of my heart.

However, one thing I didn’t know was that God is the maker of all relationships. 

He wanted a relationship with me. 

He wanted me to have one with those around me. 

He wanted me exposed, bare and open, leveled, so that I could experience the greatest relationship. 

As I surrendered to the fear and pain, the Lord began to teach me the importance of having relationships and taught me the value in becoming vulnerable. 

I’ve discovered who God is. I’ve learned about others. And I have discovered things about myself, while tending to the wounded places in my heart. One of the most powerful lessons so far has been finding out that we all, deep down, desire to experience relationship.

~ Baring His Beauty,

    Tiffany Thomas 

Crown Your Efforts With Success

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.~ Proverbs 3:6 

I have seen this verse many times. It was one of my verses from my dreams last night and I almost skimmed right over the word and lesson God was trying to convey to me.  

God has been speaking to me for almost a year that I should be intentionally focusing and living Christ first- Christ center; In everything! 

It is not always easy living this way because the world pulls and tugs at us to distract us.  

Being in my second fast in May and removing many distractions and intentionally trying to keep Christ first and practice uncomfortable obedience,was hard.  

Here are some things I learned….

 

God will ask you to change your thinking, clear out warped perceptions, bring you out of your comfort zone, have you say no to some good things to make room for greater things.

He will have you learn to wait, trust, cling to Him. He will ask us to be bolder and braver and not sugar coat or withhold back anything because of fear. 

 He will ask us to remove, decline, and obey him in some pretty hard things while he is helping us get rid of our fleshly behaviors.  We won’t always understand what He reveals, but that is where Trust and Faith are built. 

It is such a different way to live when we stop focusing on the world and our flesh and filter everything by – is it Christ honoring? Is Christ in the center of this? Is Christ first place?  Am I being Obedient? 
When we obey Christ in everything-what God views as a success- may not be what others see. 
So through this verse God showed me:

What the world may view as success or even what I can view as success, is sometimes the exact opposite of what God views as success. 
The image today is the one of the beauty queen blunder where Steve Harvey announced in error the wrong winner and on a very public stage the crown was removed from one and placed on the real winner.  

Talk about Awkward! 

I actually saw the interview with the host Steve Harvey and the actual winner. It was really sad how the public reacted so ugly to a simple human error. People were calling for boycotts, some got death threats, the real winner couldn’t enjoy her success because of the threats of angry people and had to go into hiding.  

What could have been a life lesson for many- was missed in all the anger and resentments -so they don’t ever see the lesson.  
So it is with us, We can miss many life lessons because of anger, judgement, offense,negative influences, resentments, criticisms and fear.  

Those things have a way of clouding our views.  We won’t be able to see or hear clearly when those things get in the way. 

So always put God first! 
Do what is right.  Do what God says to do.  Don’t let the world change you- let the Word change you. 

If we keep God first and center, He will direct us and crown our efforts with success, even if the world doesn’t see the success in the situation.  
       ~XXOO Michelle Bollom 

You Reign – Part 1

  

Friendly Tip: Beauty for Ashes because You Reign

 

Earlier this year, I declared victory over my life. I asked for a QUANTUM LEAP. I asked for FAVOR. I asked for COURAGE. I asked for GRACE. I asked for CLARITY. I was being called to move into my next level. I felt as if I would soon experience ELEVATION. I embraced it and remained committed to the process.    

 

I kept hearing “You Reign” and I translated “You Reign” into “We Reign.” At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t clear about my message; but I went with it anyways.

 

I was led to come from “Behind the Smile.” Behind the Smile, was a series reminding all of us that we do not have to be enslaved to our past. It is also a reminder that we will all experience a moments of feeling hurt, being hurt, or hurting others. This hurt helps us grow as people, it also helps us relate more effectively with others. Thank you for allowing me to relate more with you.  

 

Once I came from “Behind the Smile” it became apparent that I needed to “Bring the Smile.” “Bring the Smile” is my commitment to posting with a purpose- and I gave birth to 11am Smiles. You may follow me on Facebook to get my 11am Smiles. You can find me at Lereca Monik.

 

Through this, I am learning more about my purpose which is “Beyond my Smile.” “Beyond my Smile” is my WHY for living. I was given a platform to connect and relate to more people, which is beyond me. I think it all started here, as I minister to you, I minister to myself! Our latter will be greater!

 

Please join me next Monday, as I unveil his promise- my platform. I hope that you will see how your life can be transformed if you declare victory, remain obedient, operate in love, and be willing to do the work.  

 

We were all born for greatness; we are born to be queens and kings- so stop living otherwise! Experience greatness, put your crown on your head, and reclaim your seat on the throne, “We Reign,…You Reign…Let’s Reign together.”  

 

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:3 “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting the Lord, that he might be glorified.”

 

Friendly Activity:

• Make a list of everything from your past that is haunting you.  

• Pray over those past pains.  

• Make a list of everything you are grateful for (thank GOD out loud for them)

• Make a list of your hidden dreams (Dream Big)

• Ask GOD (out loud) for FAVOR in those area

 

He will trade your ashes in for beauty, if you chose to find rest in him.  

Good Night Friend.

~Lereca Monik 
 

Stressed To Rest

  
Behind the Smile: The 7th Day is The Day of Rest

Thank you for joining me and following my “Behind the Smile” series. I made a conscious decision to share a few things that made me feel guilty, embarrassed, and ashamed. I wanted to be completely freed of those issues. I am so glad that I had the courage to share. I received an overwhelming response from so many people. Many people were able to reach out and say- “Lereca, thank you. I feel that way too, I am struggling with this too, I feel that I can move on now…” 

Honestly the response was so overwhelming that I almost stopped posting after day three. Day three was pivotal. I woke up with extreme anxiety and when 11am hit I was ready to delete the posts. I am so glad I did not delete the post, I think that was the day more people reached and said…me too!  

You guys, we do not have to continue living enslaved to our past. The creator wants us to be free and to have an abundant,prosperous life. We can co-create with him if we surrender. I encourage you today to surrender. HE will not fail you-trust me.

Lastly, I want to thank: 
My family for understanding that I needed to share this information to offer other people hope and to encourage others to realign themselves with GOD. 
My friends-most of you were shocked to learn my truths; and I thank you for your kind words and encouragement.  
My mentors for pushing me to be the best Lereca I can be. Thank you for being there when I wanted to give up.  
My coach Miara Shaw for reminding me that I am capable, prepared, and ready to go to the next level in life.
Team Sprinklisms, for reminding me to launch.  
LeReine for smiling when I was crying, saying affirmations with me, and for your willingness to watch Joel Osteen and TD Jakes instead of cartoons.

Most importantly I thank GOD for showing up so amazing in my life that others will see his greatness. I made it to my 7th day. I am able now to find rest. This is why I smile.~ Lereca Monik

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

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

Get Connected

Do you shy away from really connecting with other women in your life? Are you afraid of being judged? Afraid of being hurt by a friendship? Well, stop that! We are live wires to
connecting others to God. God works in and through us to connect with people…especially women! We need relationships with other women for this very reason!

So open up, buttercup!
Mind you, you can’t just tell everyone …your junk, but there are certain relationships in your life that God has ordained to help you through what you are going through at this very moment.

I get so excited and encouraged when I am a part of other women connecting, getting vulnerable, and relating and encouraging each other through God! Seriously, it brings me such joy!

So, what if you don’t have women in your life that you feel comfortable relating or sharing with? Well, pray for them to pop up. Be that person for someone else!

When I moved to the outskirts of Houston with my would-be husband, in 2006, I had one friend in our neighborhood and my closest friend was still living in town miles away. I remember Jeff telling me for such a long time, you really need to make friends. You need to join a play group or something, but I just wasn’t ready. I just wasn’t ready to connect. I wasn’t happy with myself or fully happy with the life I was living.

It took me almost 2 years to join a Bible study group at my church. That one group of women has been a part of radically changing my life. That one group has evolved and grown and is still a foundation for me. That one group has helped me open up, reveal, get real, deal, heal and start stepping into my calling of encouraging others through Christ!

So, get vulnerable ladies. Find some peeps to get real with and blow the roof off your life!

~Stephanie Wanic

#godsbeautysecrets #beautyqueenwisdom #getreal#getvulnerable