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#Sunday’s Thought: Are You Making the “Right” Investments?

Published on June 2, 2019July 18, 2019 by Roshonda B4 Comments

Featured Photo credit: Bing/Heaven

This earth is like a marketplace; you will buy your necessities and eventually go to your home where you’ll put those things to good use, weather now or later. While that analogy is true for this earthly place, it’s a much different story when it comes to the spiritual realm. This earth is not our permanent home, we’re only here for a short while and soon, we’ll all come face to face with the month, date and year after the short “dash” after our birth-date and that’s our demise date.

Okay, so before you give this post the “OH NO LOOK” just hear me out….

On March 31^st the rap world lost a visionary, an icon of sorts, a family man and community activist by the name of Ermias Asghedom a.k.a Nipsey Hussell. I have to admit, I didn’t know him or even heard of him prior to his demise, the only person I knew that was close to him was his longtime girlfriend Lauren London, I had seen her in quite a few movies. From the video’s that I watched of him, past interviews, the couples question game he played with the love of his life and music video’s all the way down to the changes he had and was making in his community made me realize that this guy was well loved, cherished and had a big heart. Like many of us, he learned to turn a negative past into a positive future for everyone around him. He wanted to change the world by making it a better place. Nipsey was just 33 when he passed away.

I found myself wanting to play God in this scenario and think of ways if I was God, how I would have done it differently, “Silly girl, what was I thinking!” I just hate to hear about young people dying in which shameless and admittedly I TRY to play God often in those scenarios (don’t judge me please). But I felt increasingly horrible with Nipsey for some reason as I was looking at how greatly loved he was and I found myself wishing his demise had played out differently but the bible says “Warning before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” – before everyone leaves this earth, there always comes warning first.

If we don’t have a relationship with God or if that relationship is on again/off again, it may be very difficult to hear his warning or even see it but God doesn’t allow things to just happen to people without proper notice and that goes for everyone, including me! So, you may be saying – what does your title and Nipsey have to do with one another and it’s simple “We can’t get caught up in the things we do here on earth, but we must work on storing up investments beyond this earth” that’s when I took off my God hat and began to pray and wonder – Did Nipsey store up the right investments?

On earth we all want to invest in something – these investments, if good – could make us very wealthy and if not, make us very poor. Most of us live on earth as if we’re never going to die, as if we’re going to live forever and we become comfortable in making this dirty place our permanent home. Thing is, people are dying younger and younger every day, most of the time without warning. When a rich man and a poor man die – it’s the first time for once that they’re in the exact same boat. Both must stand before the Lord naked and without nothing, at this point – the fame they had or didn’t have on earth is meaningless.

Psalms 49:10-14 NIV (study lesson states)

The only riches we have at the time are those we have already invested in our eternal heritage. At the time of death, each of us will wish we had invested less on earth, where we must leave it and more in heaven where we will retain if forever. To have treasure in heaven, we must place our faith in God, pledge ourselves to obey him and utilize our resources for the good of his kingdom.

It’s not that God wants us to live poor lives, oh no….he wants us to live full, healthy and prosperous lives (3 John 1:2). His desire is that we not get caught up in material things and people (1 John 2:15). We’re not perfect but we strive every day to live and be perfect even as our father in heaven is perfect. Jesus walking the earth in the flesh was the “perfect” and best exemplified example of how we should live, act, walk and speak. It’s not easy, it’s really not. As a matter of fact, it’s hard to try and live right with soooo much temptation around, I get it – trust me but as Apostle Deanna Dixon states “Every day we have to Fight” we have to fight to live right, we have to fight to keep from cursing somebody out, we have to fight to stay in our lane and quit veering over into someone else’s lane, we have to fight to keep our sanity, we have to fight to make sure we’re making the right investments (Deuteronomy 10:12).

I pray every day that God keep me, because this sister right here – HONTAY!! My flesh can get stirred up REALLLLLL bad. I have to ask God to keep my mind on him and off of sex, OH YES!! – I didn’t say I was holier than thou! I have to ask God to keep my mind from wanting to be popular and noticed, YES! I have to ask God to keep me from going backwards into toxic relationships all because I want someone in my bed at night, I have to ask God to keep my mind and a smile on my face when I shake hands or talk to people that I KNOW DON’T LIKE OR DESPISE ME!!, I have to constantly ask for prayer to keep my attitude in check because I want to pop off….IT’S A FIGHT YA’LL! But to see Jesus one day and for him to tell me those 7 words I’m dying to hear:

“Well done my Good and Faithful Servant”

Now hearing those words would be worth it all!! I don’t know what your God affiliation is and I AM NOT trying to convert you either! but I want you to think about it. One day this earth will pass away and we will too. This earth is just a market place for goods now, nothing to be compared to the real goods we’ll have on the other side if we invest correctly.

Are you making the right investments?
Heaven & Earth will Pass away but my words WILL NEVER pass away (Matthew 24:35 NIV)

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Sunday’s Thought: The Plan Pusher

#Sunday’s Thought: Do You Have A Fork??

Published on April 28, 2019May 9, 2019 by Roshonda BLeave a comment

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

What’s up everyone! It’s been a minute since I did a Sunday Thought, as a matter of fact this is the first one of 2019 and it’s a good one. So stick with me for about 5 min, if you read faster than that well this is going to be a breeze!

So Get Those Forks & Let’s dig into it…

I want to ask you a question: Do you happen to have a fork? I’m sure you’re probably thinking, who doesn’t?? Which takes me to my next question: Do you know what the meaning of the silverware trio when it’s placed in front of you at a restaurant? I have to be honest; I learned what those shiny utensils truly were in the movie “Pretty Woman” haha, to those that have seen the movie – remember when he was trying to teach her what the salad fork was and the dinner fork and the placement of each? Yeah, I was learning right along with Julia Roberts. I just never knew that there was any meaning behind utensils, I just knew that some were BIG, others were small and okay, now where’s the food! Lol..

But everything in life has some type of symbolism and/or meaning to it. As the adage says “There’s a reason for everything” and that statement couldn’t be further from the TRUTH! Since that time of learning what utensil was used for what, I never really gave another thought to utensils having any other meaning until my sister sent me a story some weeks back that brought a somewhat spiritual meaning to one particular utensil and that was the FORK.

The story goes a little something like this:

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things ‘in order,’ she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

“There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly..”What’s that?” came the Pastor’s reply.
“This is very important,” the young woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.”That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.”Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. “My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, “Keep your fork.” It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming …. like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!”So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder… “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork … the best is yet to come.”

Photo by Plush Design Studio from Pexels

The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, “What’s with the fork?” And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

I’m sure after that story, you’ll begin to look at your fork as not just some small eating utensil but now you’ll look at it and eat off of it with PURPOSE!

I don’t know what you may be going through today or even what battles you may face tomorrow or in the months to come, but I want you to keep these quotes in mind “Trouble don’t last Always” – “Joy Comes in the Morning” but most importantly “YOUR BEST IS YET TO COME!!” – the bible says, we’re supposed to count it ALL joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith, produces patience (James 1:2-3)

So, hold on to your fork knowing that SOMETHING GREATER IS COMING!!

Let this song by Martha Munizzi encourage you today, it’s one of my favorites!!

Sunday’s Thought: When You Give More, Receive Less & Pout About It!

Published on October 21, 2018April 18, 2019 by Roshonda B2 Comments

The pictures above and below courtesy of pexels and bing

Did I tell you that last week I woke up in the middle of the night, crying my eyeballs out! I was so emotional and for some reason or another, that week just seemed to be a rollercoaster ride of them all because I was feeling some type a way about something that I honestly couldn’t control – ever been there??

Going to work the following day, no one would’ve even guessed or imagined that I had that bout of sadness, I guess it’s because I’m so used to trying to be the smile or the light for others to see – but what happens when I need a smile or a light and no one’s there to give it back to me – What happens when I, HOLD UP – let me capitalize it “EXPECT” people to do things for me because I loyal in doing something for them; is it wrong for me to expect that same loyalty back in return? What happens when I don’t get it?

Have u ever went above and beyond to do good for someone, but found yourself not getting that same dedication back in return?

Let me just say, I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit and I found myself literally having a pity party over it – I wanted people to put the same heart, time and effort into doing for me, as I did for them. However; my hopes, dreams, and fantasies of wanting this to be so, was NOT so!

There’s a scripture in the bible that says “”Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” Matthew 7:12 (NLT). I can’t tell you how long I’ve misunderstood this verse, because in my mind – I was doing for others with the anticipation that they would and should ((let me be transparent and honest here)) do to ME! I mean, look at what I was doing or had done for them.

But, God gave me a revelation of that scripture in my “pouty” breakdown that night and it goes like this: Do for others, the way you yourself would like to be treated and handled; be the light! That’s how you must conduct your business when it comes to someone else, does that make sense? It’s not about what people can do for you in return because of what you did for them; it’s more about “how” you would like to overall see people treated because in doing so, we’re actually displaying Gods love in which was a FREE for all who wanted it.

I mean, look at it this way…..

Jesus had 12 disciples who were supposed to have his back, right? Just because they were walking with someone who was perfect, didn’t mean that they were. They all let Jesus down “BIG” time!! Peter loved him and denied him, so much so he went into a cursing fit. Judas betrayed him and felt bad later, so much so – he hung himself. Matthew was a cheater and no telling what hurts, habits and hang-ups the others had (you know everything wasn’t written in scripture) and you know the saddest thing of it all??- when Jesus needed them the most they slept on him. Here he was in the garden of Gethsemane balling his eyes out and sweating up a storm because he knew he was about to die. I can only imagine the pain he must’ve been feeling at that time – the agony, the factor of just wanting someone to comfort him and no one was available, even after all the things he had done, the people he had helped and the miracles he had performed; in the end when he needed someone the most, no one was there but his heavenly father.

Does this remind you of some of the people you deal with today? Friends, Family, co-workers, acquaintances and so forth. So you might ask, well what does all of this mean? It means that everyone’s NOT going to be there for us or have our backs – if Jesus experienced it and got over it, so can WE!

My mother used to say “It’s not what they do to you – It’s what you do to THEM! – Greater is he that’s within us than he that’s within the world. 1 John 4:4. I don’t know if you’ve experienced any of this before but I just want you to know that even in my dreadful moments; God was there and he dried my tears away. I know it’s hard sometimes to think on the “positive” side when you’re feeling down – but when God brought to my mind what he had been through, with his own friends. It made me realize that I wasn’t alone.

I reached out to my friend and she shared a powerful message with me – Read it and use it to step over the pouting and crying hurdles in your life – Use it to help move you ahead and continue treating people the way “God” intends for us to treat them, no matter what and that’s with great, deep-seated, unjudging (((( LOVE ))))

My Friend Shanae’s text message is below but first (a little backstory as to why I texted her) The pouty night I had was a result over the concerns I had with my new faith-based book “Billy Wolf and the Kids of Heavenly Hills Elementary” and how people weren’t responding as I thought they should’ve, people (a.k.a friends) that I thought would have my back and buy the book, didn’t. I also had concerns about the people that purchased the book, people whom I asked to leave a positive review after reading it but they didn’t leave a review at all, even to this day. Afterwhile, my emotions took over and I began to think that maybe I wrote a horrible book that people really hated but was too afraid to tell me!!!

Suddenly, the feel-good emotion I had with writing it became feelings of insecurity and regret, I began to doubt myself and wanted to pull the book from the shelf. So, I texted Shanae and asked: “Sis tell me the truth, Is my book bad??” and this is what she wrote back:

“Yes, I understand how frustrating that is. Especially when you think people are going to support in a certain way. I’ve learned that many people will get the book but never read it. Buying it is their way of supporting. And yes, its super difficult to get people to actually read it because that requires them to slow down and focus on something other than their own stuff. Don’t stress yourself out over the reviews or getting people to read it. God has blessed you with this work and those that are called to read and review will do it without the hassle. Try not to harbor any animosity toward them and stop asking. Forgive them if they never do it and move forward with your promo etc. Your book is great and those that read it will be blessed greatly.”

No matter what gift or dream you have. Don’t give up on it – Sometimes you’ll hear crickets before you hear an applause. Keep doing what you’re doing – IT REALLY IS GOOD! Take it from ME! –

Sunday’s Thought: The Voices We Keep Silent…

Published on September 2, 2018April 18, 2019 by Roshonda B12 Comments

As a child growing up, there were quite a few issues that occurred in my life in which I felt like my voice either went either unheard or numb to the world around me. I grew up in a household with a bully step-father who fought my mom to no end, sometimes those fights ended in bloodshed, I watched as he hit, degraded and shamed her; whether in public, in front of his or her family and most heartbreakingly, in front of me and my two sisters. Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was helpless.

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Sunday’s Thought: Sometimes, You Only Get One SHOT!

Published on August 19, 2018April 18, 2019 by Roshonda B9 Comments

the photo above courtesy of bing/spiritosamente.com

I totally cringe when I look at shows such as ‘The Voice’, ‘World of Dance’ and ‘America’s Got Talent.’ No, No – it’s not because I dislike shows like that because, in actuality, I’m a huge fan of them. But what gets me is when you have a person that’s so FULL of talent – bomb on a song or don’t bring their very best to the stage.

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