Happy Birthday to Me! 23! Golden year....

Just in case you missed it, today is my 23rd birthday.  That's right, I'm only 23 years old.  But, I've had a very intense month so far... I'd rather not go into much detail, but I've been getting tested in every area of my life.  Every heart string I have has been pulled.

Here are a few highlights, though!

1) Beach trip with my bestie!  I was about to hit the road by my lonesome and take a trip to the beach. But, best friends don't let best friends take beach trips alone... Okay, there are exceptions to the rule!  Look at that ocean.   Me and Brittany go wayy back to Hyatt Park Elementary School & Ridgewood Baptist Church.  That's my girl & She always comes through!  We had a blast!

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - 8/20/2016

2)  Ulta freebie!  I had gone to the brow bar at Ulta a while back and ended up buying a brow pomade that I never even opened.  Meanwhile, I had been dreammming about the Dual Action Cleansing Brush system -->  here.  So I went to exchange it and ended up getting this free make up goodie bag.  Everybody likes free stuff!!!


3)  Gone Preachin!!!  Sunday morning I was blessed with the opportunity to preach at my brother's church.  He was on vacation while awaiting the arrival of his beautiful wife's beautiful baby girl.

4)  My Birthday - 8/23 !!!  All of my bosses wore pink because I deemed it Pink Day!!!  My brother bought a cake to my job.  Then they threw me a shindig that afternoon at work!!!  How cool... Evidence?  You know I got it!

5)  Pink Day became Pink Week for me!!! 

It was a great week!  I was shown so much love by God through people around me!  I hope you enjoyed looking at the results of it.  Happy Birthday to me!!! Let's make this year the best year!

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Nothing is wasted...

Last night I assembled this graphic.  The Lord told me that nothing in my life would be wasted. Specifically time.  We can't get time back... at least not in the natural. But, the Lord told me that the if I look for Him with my natural eye, I'll miss Him.  His restoration in the spirit realm will also have physical manifestations, but I have to put faith on it (spiritual) because it isn't yet visible (natural).

Today, family, I am SO struggling to align my emotions with my convictions.  It's crazy.  Literally the day after God spoke this into my heart, the enemy has rushed in to challenge it.

In this moment all I can do is pray!

"Lord, help me to believe what You've spoken.  Your words are good.  Your promises are good.  Not only are they good in nature, but they are good in intent.   They are good to be fulfilled.  You've never lied to me.  You've never made a promise that You couldn't fulfill.  I know You can restore.  Help my heart to know that You will restore.  Lord, help me to trust You.  God, help me to work through the growing pains of life and the growing pains of Christianity.  I understand that nothing takes you by surprise.  Help me.  Ease my heart.  Mend my wounded spirit.  God, draw me closer to You.  Restore what looks lost.  Return what feels stolen.  Renew my joy and hope.  Help me to refocus and re-align myself with you.  In this season, all I can do is pray.  In this season, it seems like that's all You want me to do anyway.  I hear You, Lord.  I will obey.  In Jesus' name. Amen!"

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God does NOT compete. Period!

Have you ever been in a relationship or a friendship with someone that you didn't spend enough time with? Or maybe you spent a significant amount of time in their physical space, but not in their mental space?  Have you ever been in a one sided relationship?   Maybe you do things together, but it feels forced or lacks genuineness?  I'm sure that's not ideally how you want it to be!

Just like you, God feels the same way!

You say you love God, but you don't spend time with Him.  You want to talk to Him and get things off of your chest... But you don't take the time to listen to Him when He speaks to you.  Neither do you open your Bible to read what He has already spoken to you.  Even when you do hear the Lord or read your Word, you don't even follow His instructions to you!

If you were in a relationship with someone like that, you'd lose patience very quickly.

HOW DO YOU THINK GOD FEELS?

God isn't going to fight for your attention!  God isn't going to MAKE you love Him!  God does not compete!!!

I recently switched to my cell phone carrier to Verizon.  The sales associate and I were talking and he admitted that Verizon is a bit pricier than other phone companies.  But, he was very unapologetic.  He said that because of the quality of Verizon's service, they were not fighting for customers, therefore, they were going to charge what they wanted.  Verizon knows Verizon's worth.

God isn't going devalue Himself by forcing Himself on you.  God is a gentleman.  He's not going to break open the doors of your heart and let Himself in... He'll come in if invited!  And even if you say you love Him, your actions must show it.  Love is what it does!  God knows God's worth.  He's not going to compete with other things and people in your life.

Some of us treat our pet, our friend, our significant other better than we treat God!

Shame on us!  God deserves to be our priority.  He shouldn't have to fight for our love or affection.  He shouldn't fight for the number one spot in our hearts.

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25 Ways to Pray for Your Child's Teacher

As we prepare for another school year, I think we need to keep in mind that our children spend more of their time with some of their teachers than they do with us. I know... It's hard sometimes, but it's okay! We're going to pray for our teachers to use their influence in the best way possible!!!

HERE ARE SOME WAYS FOR US TO PRAY FOR TEACHERS

1.      Pray for their motives.  That teaching isn’t just a job, but a calling to them.  That they aren’t just making ends meet, but they’re making a difference. 

2.      Pray for their minds.  That they’re ready and prepared for another year.  You prayed all year for the school year to start again just so that your kids would no longer get on your nerves... now they're the teachers' nerve problem.  I'm just saying. 

3.      Pray for their health.  Sick days can mess up a teaching schedule… Ain’t nobody got time for that.

4.      Pray for their strength.  We all get weak sometimes.  You get weak with your children, imagine having 15+ in a class.  Now imagine having 4-7 different sets of students each day.

5.      Pray for their emotions.  Not only because of day to day life, but let’s face it: kids can be cruel.  Pray, saints! Pray!

6.      Pray for the pressure to be relieved.  Standardized testing is the worst.  Not only for the students, but for the teachers as well.  They literally have to shape their teaching around it.

7.      Pray for their confidence.  No, the success of a teacher is not solely based on how many students pass this particular test. Not every student tests well.  

8.      Pray for them to have the ability to communicate well to their students.  No yelling.  No attitude.  No personal vendettas. No favoritism.  No proving points. No making examples. No confusion of expectations.  None of that.  Clarity.

9.      Pray for them to have the ability to communicate well to you, the parents. Calling home when necessary.  But, no unnecessary calls home.  Keeping you informed.  Keeping you up to date.  Clarity.  Peace.

10.  Pray for them to find joy in their job.  Not everyone teaches because they love to, or still love to.  Pray that daily their joy would be renewed.  It’s a stressful job, pray that their joy would balance out the stress.

11.  Pray for them to be fulfilled by the work they do.  Everyone wants to spend their days doing what fulfills them.  They’re changing lives for the better or the worse.  Pray that they will be fulfilled by their job.

12.  Pray that they would change lives for the better.  You never know the effect you will have on someone.  Pray for positivity. 

13.  Pray for their families.  If they’re having issues at home, unfortunately, they may take it out on your children. No one wants that.  Peace, in Jesus’ name.

14.  Pray for their colleagues.  Not everything that happens in a classroom is under the control of the teacher.  Administrators and principals require certain things as well… pray for unity in the faculty and staff.

15.  Pray for provision.  You never know how much money the teacher will spend to create an environment where learning can be maximized.  Money doesn’t grow on trees for you OR for them. 

16.  Pray for encouragement.  We all get weary sometimes.  We all need encouragement sometimes.

17.  Pray for their planning period.  Not every teacher gets to use their planning period every day. Some teachers have to use that time as a counselor for that student who got kicked out of the class down the hall.  Some teachers have to use that time to substitute for that teacher who had to leave early.  Pray for their time not to fly by.  Pray that it’ll strengthen them and be all they need each day.

18.  Pray for their knowledge.  That it would be increased.  As they grow, your kids will grow.

19.  Pray for their ability to relate.  No one likes a boring teacher.  No one wants to feel like they can’t relate to their teacher.  The students who like their teachers do better in their classes.

20.  Pray for renewal.  They aren’t necessarily the same person they were last year.  They don’t have to be if they don’t want to be.  Each year is a new year. 

21.  Pray for first time teachers. Don’t insult them.  Don’t scare them.  Pray for them.  They’re just as afraid to teach your child as you might be.  However, they’re probably going to work harder than those teachers that have been teaching for 25-30 years.

22.  Pray for their discernment.  Little Johnny may have to use the bathroom a lot… he may or may not have a bladder problem.  Pray for your teacher to learn the difference.

23.  Pray for their motivation.  How many times do YOU hit the snooze button in the morning?  Pray that they won’t even have the desire to.

24.  Pray for their protection. People are crazy these days. Believe it or not, teachers need protection from every from kids going off and throwing chairs to parents getting mad and paying a visit to the school house to try and take their job.

25.  Pray for their relationship with God.  At the end of the day, our teachers need to be rooted and grounded in God.  Your kids drive you to prayer… so imagine how much more prayer these teachers need!  Pray that our teachers would be drawn closer to God.  Pray that they will fall in love with Jesus and allow Him to shine so brightly through them.  Pray for the anointing of Jesus, who was also a teacher, to fall afresh on them!

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8/7/16 SUNDAY SCHOOL RECAP

Sooo... I have to tell y'all about Sunday School yesterday. First of all, I really struggle with CONSISTENCY.  I start things all the time, get obsessed with it and then I never finish it.  I start projects that I never complete.  I get excited about a diet, a work out routine, a game, and I go really hard at it for a while and then my excitement peters out...

I can start a race, but I struggle to finish it.

I can start a diet, but I struggle to continue.

Well, this month in Sunday School at my church, Dr. Edmonds (one of the ministers at our church) is teaching on The Spirit of Consistency, Discipline, Faith and Love!  And The Lord is absolutely whipping me because those are areas that I struggle in.  *rolls eyes at the Lord*

The Lord is consistent.  Numbers 23:19 speaks to God's consistency:  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son ofman, that He should repent; Has He said, and will Henot do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"

Ideally, if anyone has a right to change, it would be God.  But He doesn't change.  He remains the same.  He remains consistent.

Dr. Edmonds encouraged us on yesterday morning to be:
1) consistent in our conduct (1 John 2:1-6),
2) consistent in our thoughts (Philippians 4:7-13),
3) consistent in our prayer (Psalm 145:17-19),
4) consistent in our meditation (Psalm 19:14), and
5) consistent in our anointing (1 John 2:27).

I may have missed a few things... but this is what I didn't miss.  It really hit me.  So,  I just thought I would pass it along.

If you're like me, and you struggle especially with consistency, the Lord is speaking to you just as loud as He was speaking to me.  I need to be consistent.  You need to be consistent.  In every area of our lives.

Join me in making a change to become consistent!  Also, join us next week at Rhema for Prayer at 10:00am, Sunday School at 10:30am and Worship service at 11:30am.  Or on Tuesday nights for Prayer at 7:00pm and Bible Study at 7:30pm!!!

Shout out to Dr. Vernetta Edmonds for being led by the Lord to beat me up & show me where I need to line up!

Lord, help us today to be consistent.  We can be tempted to change with the world, fads, trends... but, help us to model after Your consistency!!!  

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Hold to God's Unchanging Hand

"Time is filled with swift transitions."   There's an old hymn that begins with that line... The song speaks of the constant transitions of the world AND the remaining consistency of God.  We constantly move from here to there.  People change.  Situations change.  Circumstances change.  Desires change.  Dreams change.  Jobs change.  Relationships change.

And when we base our joy on the situations around us, we will find our joy, too constantly changing.
 The first verse of the song rings like this, "Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand, build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand."


Because time is constantly moving and with it comes various changes, the song writer reminds us that if something is at some point all things are going to pass away... So we must build our hope on things eternal and hold to God's unchanging hand.

Here are some scriptures that help me to remain steadfast in the consistent love of Christ regardless of the situation:

1. God's faithfulness remains.  "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"  - Numbers 23:19
2. God's will always be true to Himself.  "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."  - 2 Timothy 2:13
3. God will keep His covenant.  "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;" - Deuteronomy 7:9  
4. When all else fails, we have the Word of God.  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."  -Matthew 24:35
5. God's word is forever.   "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." - Psalm 119:89
6. God's word will not return to Him void.  "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."  - Isaiah 55:11
7. God's word will stand forever. "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." - Isaiah 40:8

Jesus loves you!

So do I,

Ricki

Lord, help us to only hold to Your unchanging hand.  When life around us is filled with transitions and changes, help us to find hope and faith in the never changing and never failing word of God.  Help us to build our hopes on You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Live Forgiven

Photo used with permission of Alfreda Funnye Photography
(more info below)

I was watching a television show with my boyfriend this past weekend.  One of the characters on the show was preparing to get married and the day before her wedding, she agreed to meet with the man who had been serving years of prison time for murdering her family... Wow!  That's heavy, right?  I know. She basically told him that he didn't deserve forgiveness for the things that he had done... I was watching that show and in my head and heart I said,

"Wow!  I'm glad that she's not God and I'm glad that God is not like her!"

I've not been in the situation that she was in.  I've been hurt before, but not to that degree.  I've hurt someone before, though not to that magnitude.  I wouldn't dare walk around as if I've never hurt anyone else.  More importantly, I won't act as if I've never hurt God.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, a perfect and sinless man, He hung between two thieves.  One mocked Him while the other confessed faith in Him.  He had been beaten and tormented. And the soldiers who had His blood on their hands were not the least bit phased or concerned about what they were doing.  Though His flesh was weak and He was near death, Jesus made a powerful statement:  "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  WOW!

If Jesus, who was perfect and sinless can forgive the men who beat Him, mocked Him, made a spectacle of Him, ultimately killing him.  If Jesus can ask His heavenly father for forgiveness on their behalf, how much more should we forgive others that have hurt us?  How much more should we forgive ourselves?

Peter once asked Jesus, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matt. 18:21-22) Jesus said that we should forgive someone 70 x 7... but of course no one is going to sit and count how many times they forgive someone.  But that's the point... Jesus says you keep on forgiving.

I know what you're thinking, it's too much.  'I can't forgive that person.  And I certainly cannot forgive them again.'  'You don't know what they did to me!'  'You don't understand how they hurt me.' I don't know, you're right.  But God knows.  He said in His word "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matt. 6:14-15)   When people say that forgiveness is for  you, that's the truth in more ways than one.  You not only free your mind from that torment, but you free your spirit, too.  If you can't forgive others, God will not forgive you!  OUCH!  I know. That's tough, but it's in the Book.

Not only should you consider the fact that you want to be forgiven, but please remember that God forgave you.  The ONLY perfect man was Jesus.  We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.  In order for you to be here today, you had to have been forgiven.  The grace of God kept you.  Scripture says, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Eph. 4:31-32)  There's nothing you've done to earn forgiveness.  But, only because of Christ's work on the cross has God forgiven you.

It's not too late.

You're not too far gone.

God isn't mad at you.

God still loves you!

God wants to forgive you... He's waiting for you to ask!

It's time for us to live forgiven!

Lord, help me to be free today from the pain of my past and present situations.  Let me not be like the girl from the tv show who thought someone else didn't deserve forgiveness.  Thank you for forgiving me anyway.  If there's anything I've done to hurt someone, myself or hurt you, please forgive me.  Cleanse me from all unrighteousness... Help me to live free.  Help me to live... forgiven. In Jesus' name, Amen.  

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Here are the details on the graphic used for this post.  All photo credit goes to Alfreda Funnye of Alfreda Funnye Photography, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The text was added by me.  Check out more of her work by clicking here!

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Still Satisfied

Photographer: Christine Benz
Model:  Mylea Hardy
(more information below)

We live in a society where not many people stay content for very long.  Everyone is always trying to move and shake and get on to whatever is bigger and better.  No one stays still for too long.  WE (myself included) often get to that 'next level' we so desired to be at and then soon grow restless there like we grew restless in the place we just left.  There are many factors that contribute to this.  Philippians 4:11-12, Paul talks about how he's been in various situations and circumstances, but through all of it, he's learned how to be content. "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need."

Feelings of inadequacy can create restlessness and dissatisfaction.  When there's some area of your life that causes you to feel like you don't measure up or that you're not where you should be or who you should be, you begin to constantly compare yourself to other people.  You assume that they're lives are perfect based on their social media accounts, their pictures, or the stories they tell.  (As if everyone shares the not so perfect stuff first.)  You get so caught up in someone else's life that you forget how you longed for this place.  You forget how you prayed for this job.  You forget how you prayed for this relationship.  You forget how you prayed for this car...  That's where we have to draw the line.

Constantly comparing your life to someone else's will only cause you to forget what you have been blessed with.

2 Corinthians 3:5 tells us that "our adequacy is from God!"  So, you'll always be inadequate without the Lord.  He gives us everything that we need in every season of our lives.

Feelings of anxiety can create restlessness and dissatisfaction.  Anxiety can creep into many areas of your life.  Life is filled with issues, bills, transitions, emergencies, you name it.  Even the most steady of believers may deal with anxiety from time to time.  It starts by entertaining a thought that worries you.  Then you rehearse various possible outcomes in your mind.  Then the enemy causes you to doubt promises that God has for you.  And before you know it, you're focused more on your anxieties than the one who has instructed you not to be anxious.

When we focus more on our anxieties than on God, we make our problems bigger than we make God.  God is bigger. God is bigger.  God is bigger.

Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Give it to God.  He can do more with it than you can anyway!

Feelings of loneliness can create restlessness and dissatisfaction.   Have you ever felt like a relationship was going to solve all of your problems?  If I had a friend to hang out with, I wouldn't be so lonely.  If I had a boyfriend, I wouldn't feel so alone.  If my relationship with family members wasn't so bad, I'd be happy.  WRONG!  I don't mean to negate the significance of relationships.  I believe God made us relational and there are things we need from other people that we can't get on our own.  However, when we idolize those relationships and desire a connection with people more than we desire a connection with God, we are in error.  God desires to have our hearts.  God desires to have true fellowship and companionship with Him.  Our relationship with God should be the only relationship that controls our contentment... We should be resting in Him. I'm truly in love with my boyfriend.  I know that the Lord has us together for a purpose.  But I have had to come to the point that regardless of my relationship status, I'm still satisfied.  Whether I have a boyfriend or not.  Whether I have a lot of friends or not.  Whether I'm surrounded by people or not.  Whether I'm PMSing or not (uhh, well, I'm still working on that!).

Putting your contentment in the hand of anyone but God is dangerous business.  No one knows your heart like Him, so no one should hold your heart but Him.

James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  Draw near to GOD. I know there are people you want to know, but in the grand scheme of things, it's better to have a relationship with God and no relationship with anyone else than having a relationship with anyone else & no relationship with God.  

Lord, help me to be satisfied no matter what state I'm in.  Help me to find my contentment in You.  Help me to rest in You.  Help me to know that it is because of You that I am where I am. Help me to trust this season and not get overwhelmed with comparing my current state to someone else's.  

Love you all!

Ricki 

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Here are the details on the graphic used for this post.  The picture was taken by Christine Benz of Christine Benz Photo.  The model is Miss Mylea Hardy. The text was added by me.  Check out more work from both of them at http://christinebenzphoto.com

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