We are Vindicated…

Hi Guys,

Hmmm…Today has been a little testy…I had to mediate a he said/he said issue today and it was very unfortunate…mostly because the truth is so much better than a lie in EVERY circumstance, yet so many people refuse to be honest! Who to believe? I believe one party in particular, because of the nature of our relationship, and the fact that I don’t expect to be blatantly lied to (though I could be wrong)…Don’t know if you’ve ever had to sit between 2 parties, each accusing the other of some atrocity…both sticking to their claim…neither willing to bend…it can be taxing on the one trying to mediate…for me, I just want the truth…and when the truth is not forthcoming, frustration can set in.

In this case, one party is strong and powerful, and rich…, trained in being skillful at playing on words, looking for clues, making assumptions look like full-blown truths….the other is weaker..not very good with words, even fumbles over his words, and may even use them out of context, but he can be understood, if you listen.

As I listened to them go back and forth, with the stronger attempting to dominate the conversation, attempting to subtly use his affluence to cause the other to cower, I was proud of my “weak soldier”, as he stood up for himself..refusing to budge or bend on his position, but in the end willing to take the low position and call it quits..As Mr. Strong-Man left the room, I was left with Mr. Weak, and with almost tears in his eyes, he said “Ms. G, (as he affectionately calls me), I’m not lying..” My heart broke a little when he said that…something in me knows he’s telling the truth, and as I sighed and shook my head after his departure, I said, “Lord, vindicate your child…”

So many times, things happen to us in life that we cannot resolve…things are said that can’t be unsaid, lies are told against us, people who seem to have more power and influence than us, can sometimes bully us into feeling smaller and inadequate…the truth is, stuff sometimes just happens and we cannot respond, or don’t have the right words, or strength to defend ourselves.

I think in those moments when feel defenseless, and may even feel a little foolish that we didn’t respond a certain way, God will come to our defense and vindicate our names…sometimes, we don’t have to say a word.

I’d rather Him fight my battles than try on my own…Who can stand against Him?

Enjoy the rest of your evening..

I’ll continue to be pensive…

Love,

YG

 

 

The Hands That Heal…

Hi Guys,

I was reminded of this note I wrote back in January 2010, during my morning devotion today.

Enjoy!

_________

“Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not DESPISE the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He also binds up; he injures, but His hands also heal”…(Job 5:15-27)

I want to run around again!!! The same God who wounds, makes the solution for me to get better…the same God who injures prepares the way for my healing!!

Is there something God is disciplining you about currently? Something deep in your spirit that you know you have to take care of? Some prompting of the Holy Spirit that just won’t let you go? You know what I mean, that uneasiness you feel in that relationship, that unsettled feeling you have when you say or do certain things…ring a bell? That’s the discipline of God…that’s God saying “Baby, come out of that…I have more for you…something so much better…”

I know how it feels to reaaaaaaaaaaallly want something to work against the odds, in spite of the constant discomfort in my spirit….I know how hard it is to let go of someone and/or something you reaaaaaaaaaally think you love…. but if God is saying no, then there’s NO WAY it will work…there’s NO WAY it’s going to last..don’t you want the BEST?? I know I do!!

I’d rather God wound me by taking that thing away from me (which He’s done many times by the way), than hold on for dear life, only to lose out in the end!! OH HOW I LOVE JESUS!!! There’s such a balm in Gilead…there truly is healing for the soul!! The Scripture “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”, is not just a cliche for me..I finally know what it means…I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum…trust me..waking up with joy is so much sweeter.

So today, why not take the decision to allow God to do what He wants? Ultimately, we were created for His pleasure anyway..so why not give yourself away to His purposes and desires for your life and calling? The benefits are sooooooooooooooo sweet!

A prayer: Lord I thank You for Your faithfulness, that even when I think You’re hurting me, even when You DO hurt me by taking away that which I’d like to hold on to, You turn right around and wipe all my tears away and put a bandage on my cut…but not only do You bandage it, You, in Your timing, totally remove the sting and the scar, giving me the liberty to go after it again..Your way. Lord, thank You that You have healed this heart of mine soooooo many times and that You’re faithful to seeing Your will in me fulfilled. I love You with all my heart and am so excited about ALL You have laid up in storage for me…I’ll chase hard after You every day of my life.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

YG

 

You are Enough!

Hi Friends!

I thought maybe today you needed to hear, “Who you are is enough”!

When God made you, He didn’t make a mistake – you are exactly who you’re supposed to be – all your little kinks and all – they are all part of the tapestry that makes you uniquely you – fearfully and wonderfully made!

Don’t ever change who you are to fit into someone else’s mold – you can’t fit there, because after you were created, the mold was broken – no one can fit into your mold, and you cannot fit into anyone else’s!

Take time this weekend to truly celebrate you – the good, the bad and the indifferent – ask for help in areas where you need improvement, but know without a shadow of a doubt that who you are IS enough!

Blessings and love to you!

Have a great weekend!

YG

 

Before You Even…

Hellooo!

So here’s today’s blog! Brief but inciteful!

I was reading Genesis 24 this morning and was amazed at how amazing God is! 🙂

Abraham sent his servant back to his homeland to find a wife for his son Isaac…the servant prayed that God would grant him success on his journey by revealing to him the right woman for Isaac…BEFORE he even finished praying, IN HIS HEART, God sent the answer! (Genesis 24:45) Isn’t that amazing?

He didn’t actually vocalize his prayer, but God saw and heard the depths of his heart, desiring to fulfill Abraham’s request, and God honoured the unspoken request by sending a prompt response!

He’s amazing! He hears us even when we don’t speak…He knows our thoughts before we even think them…and before we even form the words of a prayer, He answers!

He’s an amazing God!

Have a great day!

Love,

YG

 

Be Careful Who You Allow to Buy a Ticket into Your Life!

Hey!

I was reading the book of Jonah this morning in the Message Bible and was struck by what I read! Sure it’s a well-known story, and for some, may even be hard to believe that a man survived being swallowed by a whale, but while reading it, the light bulb turned on and I had one of my many, “aha!” moments!

What struck me was Chapter 1 – especially verses 3-12 – God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach to His people…

But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get.

4-6 But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering. The ship was about to break into pieces. The sailors were terrified. They called out in desperation to their gods. They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship to take a nap. He was sound asleep. The captain came to him and said, “What’s this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we’re in trouble and rescue us.”

7 Then the sailors said to one another, “Let’s get to the bottom of this. Let’s draw straws to identify the culprit on this ship who’s responsible for this disaster.” So they drew straws. Jonah got the short straw.

8 Then they grilled him: “Confess. Why this disaster? What is your work? Where do you come from? What country? What family?”

9 He told them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship God, the God of heaven who made sea and land.”

10 At that, the men were frightened, really frightened, and said, “What on earth have you done!” As Jonah talked, the sailors realized that he was running away from God.

11 They said to him, “What are we going to do with you—to get rid of this storm?” By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control.

12 Jonah said, “Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It’s all my fault. I’m the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you’ll get rid of the storm.”

So many times we allow people into our lives and we are sorely disappointed, and many times just plain stressed out as a result of the association – this should NOT be so.

These people are not necessarily “bad” people mind you, but sometimes as a result of their own insecurities, or disobedience, they end up causing us to go through unnecessary storms! (I can say that because I used to be the storm-causer (and for those very reasons!))…..

Jonah was chosen by God to speak life to His people, but he was disobedient to God, and his disobedience led him to run away, buy a ticket to board this ship, and ultimately cause God to send the storm, (and the whale that swallowed him)!

The men on the ship couldn’t understand how the weather so suddenly changed….but they seemed to clearly understand that it had to be someone ON the ship who was the cause of the disaster – they were terrified when they realized that Jonah was running away from God, and when Jonah told them he was at fault and the storm would cease if they’d throw him overboard, the men were reluctant to let him go! – How many times have you been there? You know this person is not an asset, but a definite liability…you know you’re sinking…about to die…and YET you’re still determined to try to overcome the storm (that will not relent because God caused it!) ….still determined not to release the person for fear of what may happen to THEM over what could happen to you!

Sounds really selfless, right?

Sometimes you have to make the hard decision to let some friends go (if even for a season)! Sometimes we really want to play the hero and do all we can for a person, but if God is dealing with them on certain issues and they are refusing to yield, then your help will ultimately be to your detriment!

Learn to step back and allow God to be God in their lives…affirm how much you still love and care for them, but be firm and determined in your stance to let them stand on their own! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good God is at causing people to take a deep look at themselves, once they learn to yield to Him – and how excellent He is at transforming their lives!

That said, don’t forget that not everyone should have a front-row ticket to your life – and not because they’re bad, but because life is all about purpose…and is determined by seasons and cycles – seasons change, and with it, our relationships! It’s ok! God’s got this!

Have a great afternoon!

Love,

YG

 

Choose Your Words Wisely!

I say it often – be mindful what you say!!! Your words have power – be careful with them!!

Vlog tells more!

Enjoy!

Love,

YG

 

Don’t Be Afraid of Change!

Hi Guys!

The feeling of the familiar. Comfort-zone. The way it’s always been. Routine. Same hairstyle. Same eating habits. Same going-nowhere friendships. Same unfulfilling job. Same ol’, same ol’.

Why do we sometimes seem so content to stay in a rut? Completely reluctant to change?

I remember not too long ago, a friend of mine said he saw me in a vision – I was carrying out a particular task, but I was holding on to safety bars – afraid to fully let go and just be – I was clinging to what I knew to be a “safe place”, reluctant to test the waters of uncertainty. Hmm…that got me thinking about how I approached life on a whole (though he was relating it to one area in particular)! I knew it was time to change! It was time for me to let go of “safe and familiar” and embrace the unknown, the scary and the unfamiliar – it was time to live by faith!

In life, change is inevitable! There’s nothing we can do to stop things from changing – as we grow, we realize our relationships change, the people around us change, situations change, the economy and job market changes….everything that can change, will change, so we can’t afford to be stuck! Where necessary, we must apply change to our lives as well!

Ladies, if you’ve worn the same hairstyle for the past 20 years, I challenge you to spice up your life a little and change it! Add some highlights, cut off a few inches, sew in a few tracks (lol) – Men, maybe change the way you cut your hair..or let it grow a little longer (but please always, always comb it!! LOL)

There’s more than one way to skin a cat – so try changing up your routine a little – I promise it will NOT kill you! In fact, you’ll probably be really surprised at how you feel once you do!

My point is this, change is not a bad thing! I know we’re afraid of it because it takes us away from what we have always experienced, but doesn’t the same ol’ thing get boring after a while??

….I think it’s time for a new hairstyle, or wardrobe! 🙂

Have a great afternoon!

Love,

YG

 

There are Lessons to Be Learned….

Hi Guys!

How are you? I’m doing really well! Happy, free, getting-fit, living on purpose – with intent – determined to accomplish all my goals – determined to fulfill the mandate on my life!

Have you ever gone through stuff that’s really tough? Stuff that you wish had never, ever happened? Well, I know I have…but with every experience, do you know what I’ve learned? – There’s always something wrapped up in that “horrible” experience for me to learn!

Sometimes, the only way for you to learn how to do something right, is to get it wrong – to make a total mess of a situation! Sometimes failure can be the best and most effective teacher. In moments of “failure”, you are forced to take an honest look at the surrounding circumstances, and make a decision to learn the valuable lessons and move on.

Experience teaches wisdom – there’s NOTHING that can take the place of 1st hand experience! Get knocked off a horse enough times, and you will learn the technique for staying atop that little horsey! (Unless of course, you enjoy the thrill of being crashed to the ground – which unfortunately, on a serious note, too many people do enjoy…the mistreatment, abuse, compromise…

I’m so glad that our past does not have to dictate our futures unless we allow it – and I’m super ecstatic over the fact that the lessons we learn along the way are all for our own good!

So I say: Do not despise hard and pressing times – but learn to appreciate them and determine to learn whatever you’re supposed to learn, so you don’t have to circle the mountain another time!

 

Talk to Him About Everything – He Cares!!!

Hi Guys!

Happy Friday!

Quick word to tell you to talk to God about every, single, solitary thing in your life!!!! He cares…He listens…He WILL answer!!

Vlog tells more!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

YG

 

Joy Comes

Hi Guys!!

I hope you’re having a great day today! I got my workout in – a long, well-needed stretch routine and I spent some much needed quality time in God’s presence! I feel renewed, relaxed, determined, happy, at peace, joyful! Any positive adjective you can think of, I’m pretty much experiencing right now!!

Just wanted to encourage you, especially if you’re going through a rough time right now emotionally – weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5)!! The “morning”, is not necessarily referring to the time of day, but rather a state of light – when we have that “light bulb moment” and we realize that our cares are better left at the feet of Jesus, and we exchange our hurts for His comfort!

The vlog tells more………..

Have a great day!

Love you!

YG