YOU ARE A SUPERHERO

36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;  we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  ~~ Romans 8:36-37

In our society, we label those who are strong and invincible as “Superheroes”, they are able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet, or walks on water.  Those are the people we look up to or call upon for help.  We rarely look at someone with an affliction as a Superhero.

Even Superheroes don’t have it all figured out. While they may be a beacon of hope for the rest of the world, it doesn’t mean that they are the most upright people. As a matter of fact, many of them have serious issues. Some of them have gone through extremely horrible events that had lasting effects on their mental and physical well-being.

Even those Marvel Superhero we looked up to as children dealt with various issues with their health or mental state.

  • Spiderman had PTSD – Peter Parker was scared and grieving over his losses. While they motivated him to become a better hero, he was still affected by them negatively.
  • Captain Marvel had Cancer – He found himself face to face with many unnatural foes and locations, and this resulted in him getting cancer after being exposed to the “Compound 13” nerve gas.
  • Superman suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder – Before he had a chance to get attached to his parents and world, everything he knew was destroyed and he was sent to a different environment. As Clark Kent, he was the clumsy news reporter who worked with Lois Lane, while Superman was the confident hero who could face anything head on.

Those were the Superheroes of the TV and in Comic Books, I’ve had/have a few Superheroes in my life.

  • Ivory Mae Olden – She was my mother, and a superhero in her own rights. She single-handedly raised 10 children, giving us an example of how to work hard and never give up on our dreams.  If we let her know that we wanted to pursue music or other extra-curricular activities, she would make sure we had the resources to make it happen, that wasn’t easy for her, but she made it work.  She was not perfect, nor did she have it all together, but when I look back on how she prepared us for life, I am very proud of the woman that she was.
  • Jim Albo – My Manager for 8 years – He was a hot-blooded Italian who was intimidating to most people, but he taught me so many things about Corporate America and life. We made a pact in the beginning of our working relationship that carried us throughout our time together.  I have remembered many the things that he taught me and that has made me successful and a great asset to other companies.
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Supreme Court Justice – RBG fought most of her life for the safety and equality of all people. She passionately fought for the rights of the LGBTQ   community, undocumented people and those with disabilities.  She also fought for voting rights, women rights, the poor, and many other marginalized groups.  She did this throughout her lifetime, and still her voice reverberates, there are laws in place because of her, and we all benefit because she graced our presence.

Last, but certainly not least, my Superhero is Jesus Christ, who paid the ultimate price.  He gave his life so that I would have a right to live.  There is no greater love and not enough words to express how much he has done in my life

Superheroes come in many different personalities; they are not always perfect.  They don’t always look the way others expect them to look, but they hold a very special place in our lives.  They help to shape who we are and where we will go in life.

You are a Superhero; someone is looking to you and how you navigate through this journey.   This could help them with direction or solutions to help them in life.  It’s ok to don your cape and let it be known who you are.  Remember –   13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ~~ Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

Take the time to reflect on who your other superhero is or was and then honor them by being your best self.

Rise UP!

 Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.  Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” ~~ Ezra 10:3-4

When the people of Israel, did not separate themselves from the people of Canaan, which the Lord has warned them about, they did things that were displeasing to God.  It was bad enough for the people of Israel to break God’s law and marry the heathens around them, but it was even worse that even the priests and the Levites were involved in this, as well.

They had taken on husbands and wives of the land which eventually caused the grief of Ezra.  When they heard his prayer to God to forgive them, they too realized the seriousness of what they had done, and they began to weep. It was not just the men who were disturbed by this, but all of the people.

 They decided to make a covenant with God to repent.  This would be a drastic move on their part since some of these people had children with their heathen wives, or husbands. But it didn’t matter, they were willing to make a covenant with God, to divorce the wives that were not Hebrews, and even give up their children that were born of them. Although it was drastic, this would be a real effort to make things right. Ezra believed this would be enough repentance for what they had done, to keep the LORD from killing them.

When we have disobeyed God, there are consequences and we can’t just sit around and allow things to continue to spiral out of control. We have to take action. True repentance will require us to do things that may be uncomfortable, almost unbearable, like walking away from those we think we love in order to do the will of God.

As in Ezra’s case, he was not alone in his effort to turn things around, the people were willing to join him in the renewed covenant to God. We too have to know that we are not alone, there are those who will come along beside us, they will pray with us and encourage us! They will also hold us accountable to keep our covenant.

But it starts with us; we have to RISE UP!  Take hold of what has taken hold of us, one step at a time, rising higher and higher, knowing that every step we take, every prayer we make, there is help. The Father will send us the Holy Spirit, called the “Paraclete,” who is a Helper, Advocate, Encourager, and Friend who comes alongside us to help us.

The Psalmist also says in Psalm 121:7-8, that the Lord is the source of our strength, so we have another helper.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

When we rise up, He rises up!!

Radiating with Joy

The world is sometimes an ugly place to view. The news of events around us is heartbreaking. It can be hard to see the joy in any of it. BUT what if we focused on finding the beauty. Joy is not dictated by what is happening around us but by what is happening within us. We can’t control all the events in the world, but we have full control over how we respond to those events, the amount of beauty we find, and the joy we release. This is never about dismissing what we see or ignoring it. It is about having compassion and empathy without sacrificing who we are on the inside.

If you find yourself without the ability to express joy, then that is something that needs to be worked out. Joy comes from a greater place than us. As a matter of fact, in Galatians 5:22, we discover that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, among other things. So a lack of joy could correspond to a lack of the Spirit or, better yet, our lack of surrender to the Spirit. You can’t give what you don’t have.

Take inventory today. How is your joy level? Not your happiness because that will always depend on your circumstances, but joy is lasting beyond circumstances. If you find yourself lacking joy, then sit with the Father and ask Him to give you more. Take some time to laugh. Yes, laugh! You don’t need a good excuse to laugh; do it. You have full control over when you laugh. Go ahead, try it now. It releases the feel-good hormones that help calm us and alleviate stress. It helps us focus. Joy and laughter are great tools to battle depression and help change your mindset. The next time you see ugly or heartbreaking news, allow your joy to radiate, knowing that you are never alone and will get through it.

Meditate on that Scripture. Pray that Scripture for yourself. Then laugh!

Love the Unlovable

Loving others is not always easy. However, there are some that make it a delight to love them. Those that we share the same interest and passions. Even when situations are challenging, these individuals are still worth the fight, so love prevails. But what about those that are just difficult people to start with.

Difficult people are not only difficult to love; they are also difficult to be around. We go to great lengths to avoid these types of people. We hide when at work. We tell our children to say we are not home when they call. We even walk the other way at church, pretending we didn’t see them.

The worse may be those you want to love, but they find it hard to accept that love. So they do whatever they can to sabotage the relationship. No matter how hard you try or how many times you forgive and restore the relationship, they reject that love. They find every flaw in the relationship and pick apart themselves, giving every excuse as to why they don’t deserve that love.

No matter the type of difficult person you encounter, loving the unlovable is just hard. But what if we made it easy. What if we didn’t view others as difficult to love but as those most deserving of our love. Maybe they are being difficult because they have never experienced real love. They could be in your life for just that reason, to experience real love.

From some personal experience, those I find difficult tend to reflect some difficult characteristics in me. Yep, difficult people can be a mirror. Wouldn’t you want others to view you as deserving of love if you were difficult to them?

I challenge you to love those difficult people with the love that has been shown to you. Love them as you would love yourself. And if loving yourself is difficult, start there by showing yourself some grace.

We all deserve love.

Loving Your Partner

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3

True, genuine love begins after the spell wears off, after the actual or relational honeymoon ends and real life begins. If you know that loving someone starts at the end of the buckling knees, then you’re prepared, you don’t give up. You don’t think, Oh, no, it’s over! My heart doesn’t flutter anymore, and the butterflies are gone.

When you love your partner, you do what needs to be done to nurture what’s most important to you by being fully invested.  That means that you care about the relationship, and you’re invested in relationship health. If problems arise, being invested means you will work with the other person to solve them.

Small investments in your everyday relationships can offer huge benefits when you most need them.

Here are some things you can do in your relationship

  1. Commit to Your Relationship

Decide that you are going to be in the relationship; that you are going to work toward its growth; that you will nourish it to the best of your ability.  Without that commitment, you don’t have the necessary foundation to build a loving relationship. That is why this first step is crucial.

You have to know that loving partners are not secretive; they’re open about where they are and who they’re with. If their plans change, they’ll call you or send you a text. Because, in their excitement of being with others and whatever they’re doing, they haven’t forgotten about you. They’re thoughtful.

  1. Invest Time

The workaholic who works 60 hours a week might say, “I love my partner so much. I’m working hard to provide for them.” That’s not love. Remember, love is not a feeling; it’s not words.  It’s an action that you decide to take.  Take the time to create a more intimate relationship with your Partner. Prioritize a routine date night to fan the flame of your relationship.

Take Time to:

  • Talk with each other,
  • Communicate and share things that are important,
  • Build connection and intimacy,
  • Ensure you see and notice your partner, appreciate who they are and all the things they do.

Invest time in your relationships.  In your marriage, make sure to go to bed together, make and eat meals together, write small love notes to each other, love one another.

PRAYER:  Lord, our prayer is that you help us to truly cherish our partner and that you teach us what it means to put them on a “Faith Supported Pedestal”. We need your Divine support to transform our hearts to ensure our partner will always feel loved and respected.

Do Something New – Take Care Of You!!

(SELF CARE IS NOT JUST A BUZZWORD)

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The word self-care in the bible looks a little different than what we may practice today, nevertheless, God’s word is clear that we are to take time for ourselves in order to draw near to Him and care for ourselves.

In the past year, self-care has become a buzzword for some, but for others, it is a real necessity.  You see big-time athletes and entertainers walk away from their sport or craft to get the care they need.   Unfortunately, this has not always gone well with the media and others who feel they are being “too weak” or “selfish”, as if they owe their lives to those who are entertained by what they do.

Despite what others think, self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself as it produces positive feelings and boosts your confidence and self-esteem. Also, self-care is necessary to remind yourself and others that you and your needs are important too.   People are dying because they ignore the need for self-care.

To administer self-care takes discipline, respect, and tough-mindedness to do the things that are good for you. When you take care of yourself, you will have more energy to take care of others joyfully.

Are there people that misinterpret self-care and turn it into so much self-focus that they become selfish…yes for sure!!  This doesn’t apply to everyone.  Those of us who need to take care of ourselves, be it physical or mental health, should do so without fear of conviction or judgment from others, those who can’t possibly know how we feel.

I for one, have the appearance of always being strong, able to take care of everyone and everything around me.  Well truth be told, it can take a toll on your life, I haven’t made a resolution yet, but I plan to take better care of myself and in doing so I’ll be better equipped to help others do the same.   One of my favorite books from the Psalmist is Psalm 46 – vs. 5 tells us that “God is within her; she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”  When self-care is my priority and God is with me, there is nothing I can’t do.  When I try to keep up the rapid pace, in fear I may disappoint someone, I only hurt myself.  There is a fine line I must walk to ward off a mental collapse.

I challenge you today, take the time you need to take care of yourself, it’s not only beneficial to you, but to those around you.

I found these 10 Easy Habits To Get You Started On Self-Care, I’m sharing them with you and I hope you find them helpful.

  • Go for a walk or a light jog
  • Meditate or do deep breathing for five minutes
  • Take a break when you need it
  • Choose who you spend time with
  • Laugh heartily at least once a day
  • Eat healthy meals
  • Avoid emotional eating
  • Start a journal – write what you are feeling
  • Learn to say ‘No’
  • Stop overthinking everything

REMINDER:  Self-care is necessary to remind yourself and others that you and your needs are important too.  It produces positive feelings and boosts your confidence and self-esteem.   Smart self-care habits like eating healthy, connecting with a loved one or, practicing meditation cuts down the toxic effects of stress by improving your mood and boosting your energy and confidence levels.  Lastly, nothing helps the mental state more than spending time in the presence of the Lord.

Take time in 2022 to TAKE CARE OF YOU!!

We have new opportunities this New Year!! Be Blessed My Friends!!

Love – The Ultimate Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit is the evidence—the outward display—of the Holy Spirit’s work within a Christian. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruits of the Spirit demonstrate the character of a life submitted to God.

 

For the next 5 weeks we will look at the Fruit of the Spirit, Week 1 is that decisive fruit – LOVE.  The famous expression, ‘love conquers all,’ which is credited to the Roman poet Virgil, speaks volumes.  It suggests that there is no force in the world that cannot be overcome by love

 

For the sake of time the remaining fruit will be grouped together in twos.  It is my prayer that you will be encouraged and inspired and begin to see God working in and through your diligence to live for Him. After all,” we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

 

As I get started, I first must ask the question, what is Love?

Love is defined as a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person. 

There are different kinds of love, the bible speaks of the different kinds of love, the most familiar ones in the Greek are Eros, Phileo and Agape.

  • Eros is the sexual or romantic love, it is not used in the New Testament but may have been used in the Septuagint translations of the Old Testament.
  • Phileo is the friendly or brotherly love or a love shown to a friend closer than a brother, we see this in John 5:20 and John 16:27

  • Agapeis the self-sacrificial love, that’s important in the New Testament. This word speaks of a mindful action rather than an emotional feeling.  It describes the love God has (1 John 4:8) and shows his Son, (John 17:26) and Christians (John 14:21).  It is also used in describing God’s love for the entire human race (John 3:16) or (Romans 8:5).

When we seek love, especially earthly love, it may fail us. When we love imperfect broken people, the love can also be imperfect and broken. But when we seek and find love with the creator God, we find a perfect selfless love that is eternal.  The kind of love, that loves us through our mess and restores us into a person who is lovely and love who can love others.

One of my favorite scripture give us a glimpse of what love is – 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  8 Love never fails.

I could go on and on about this topic but as I bring it to a close, I pray that we understand what love truly is or is not and that we will choose love over anything else, because as scripture says, “Love Never Fails”.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father thank you that you loved us so much that you sent your only begotten Son Jesus, to die for us.  Even when we were sinners, He was willing to give His life to reconcile us back to you.  We could never repay you for the sacrifice, but what we can do is love at all time, the way you do.  It’s in the matchless name of Jesus, we pray!  Amen

Mary Magdalene: The Scandal

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. ~~ Luke 8:1-2

Mary’s nickname Magdalene may mean that she came from the town of Magdala a fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Roman Judea.

The Gospel of Luke 8:2–3 lists Mary Magdalene as one of the women who traveled with Jesus and helped support his ministry “out of their resources”, indicating that she was probably relatively wealthy. The same passage also states that seven demons had been driven out of her, a statement which is repeated in Mark 16.

Mary Madelene has been depicted in many movies about the life of Jesus.  Jesus is said to have loved her more than any of the others because of her understanding. Some readers have interpreted Jesus’ “love” as physical, not just spiritual, and that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were intimate — if not married.  Beneath centuries of misinformation and conspiracy it is said that she was Jesus’ wife whom he fathered two children with.  In another movie “The Chosen”, we discovered that the character called Lilith for most of the episode is Mary Magdalene.  The Episode showed how the demons were cast out of her by Jesus.  The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith, the creators of The Chosen probably chose that name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. Also noted in this movie, Mary is in the “Red Quarter”, implying that she is a prostitute, again the Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a sinful woman who was forgiven. Over time, the label stuck and now many adaptations depict her that way.

One thing the scripture does say about Mary and that is she played a starring role in one of the most powerful and important scenes in the Gospels. When Jesus was crucified by the Romans, she was there supporting him in his final terrifying moments and mourning his death and she was the first woman that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection.

9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. – Mark 16:9-10

When Mary told the Apostles that Jesus had risen, none of them believed her. Yet she never wavered in her belief.

She gives us an example that as Christians, we too will be the target of ridicule and distrust, and that all manner of untruths may be spoken about us, we must hold on to our belief in Jesus, that he is the way and that he will show himself to us, when we are at the lowest point in our lives.

My question to you today is:  When you are faced with challenges as Mary was, how will you respond?  Will you stand firm in your belief or will you succumb to the ways of the world and hide out in hopes that no one notices that you are a follower of Jesus?

Jesus said, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:26

Lydia: The Entrepreneur

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.    Acts 16:14

 

As we take the time this month to explore the lives of the women of the bible, we decided that Lydia would lead the pack.  Although the bible doesn’t give us a lot about Lydia, what is mentioned gives us enough to know that she was a good businesswoman.  Because of her entrepreneurship, she was a seller of expensive goods, and most importantly, she trusted God who opened her heart to believe.  Lydia was from the city of Thyatira and is called out in the New Testament as a woman who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Although she was from Thyatira, at the time Lydia met the Apostle Paul, she lived in Philippi, which was a leading city of Macedonia.

Once Lydia heard Paul, she believed and made a confession of her faith to her community by being baptized. She then assembled her entire household, told them what had happened to her, and asked them to also believe.

When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.  Acts 16:15

Lydia also recognized the demands of travelers on a journey and saw the needs of people in ministry. She helped to create a legacy for the early church, in Philippi, and her home of Thyatira.  She helps us to know that community still matters.

We see that Lydia was a well-known seller and was a successful businesswoman in a prosperous city.   She had ability, enthusiasm, purpose mental shrewdness, and she prospered greatly in an honorable and extensive calling.

Most likely from the details given about Lydia, we can come to a few conclusions. First, Lydia most likely accumulated a great deal of wealth from selling purple cloth because only royals and the rich could afford purple outfits. Secondly, Lydia was an example of the independent position only a few women attained in Asia Minor.  She was prosperous in business, she owned a spacious home and had servants to care for her.

Lydia puts this wealth to good use by showing Paul and his companions some hospitality, putting them up in her home. Lydia’s life proves that one can work an honest “secular” job and use it to further the gospel.

 

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, thank you for giving us an example in the Bible of how when we trust you with our lives, and resources, you are able to do unimaginable things with them.  We thank you that even though a lot is not spoken about us, we can be impactful in the Kingdom especially when we use what we have in our possession to carry out your work here on earth.  We bless you now in the matchless name of our Savior Jesus Christ – Amen!

 

The Price of Freedom

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. ~~ Romans 8:1-2 

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  ~~ Thomas Jefferson

 

In previous blogs, we discussed what true freedom is, in the dictionary, freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think without hindrance or restraint.  We talked about how that completely wraps up everything Christ has done for us. Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”.


Today we are talking about the price of freedom.  Freedom can be incalculable. Some will think there is no price too large to pay for freedom, others will think there are limits to what they will pay for it.


Freedom liberates our spirits and frees us to be our best selves.  We can be free to worship, or perhaps someone who lifts our fellowman to heights that would be otherwise unattainable. But the cost of mistreatment of that freedom can also slam the door on human joy and cast a dark cloud on our creativity and growth.


In some instances, freedom of expression can lead to violence. When someone’s choices or ideas aren’t heard by other people, it may lead them to get angry, unable to control their emotions, and hurting someone in frustration ending their right to freely move about at will.


In view of all that has been said so far, I leave you with this question — What are you willing to pay for freedom? For Jesus, that answer was EVERYTHING.


PRAYER:  Dear Lord, because of you, freedom is our inalienable right. Help us to know that there is still a price to be paid for freedom.  We pray that our use of freedom will be to uplift, and not misused.  Thank you for paying the ultimate price for our freedom. We pray this is the name of Jesus,  Amen!