2011 (Reflection)

So, I'm doing an end-of-the-year blog at the end of the year this year. I usually wait until the 1st of 2nd week of January to reflect on the previous year, but I'm bucking that trend this year, and I'm going to reflect in these last moments of 2011.


Events
It's been an eventful year. I've reached a few milestones this year that I didn't foresee coming. I didn't think I'd get my minister license/ordination this year, but I did. Not only that, I never imagined that I'd be named Assistant Pastor of Anointed Word Fellowship. Honestly, I was praying that God would send an minister from outside of Cincinnati to be Bishop Booker's Assistant Pastor; but, God had other plans.

I got to go to Gatlinburg this year. I loved the trip down there! It was one of the more serene weeks of the year (I can't say the most serene - when you travel with 60 other people, you usually don't get to do everything that you wanted; but I still had a blast). AWF went to Gatlinburg three years ago, but this year we had more time to do more things, such as going to Clingman's Dome and trying new restaurants (still didn't do any shopping, but that's all right).

My brother came home. I've missed my younger brother, and it was great to have him home again. He made some mistakes, but it's been awesome to see God redeem him and change his course. Now, he's in college, he's doing music again, and best of all, he's serving God!

Of course, I GOT MY DRIVER LICENSE!!! What a way to cap off the year! Operation: License was a success!

Spiritual Warfare was a big thing this year. I've never had to fight so hard in the spirit realm in all my life! The devil tried to get into a few people and cast doubt on me being Assistant Pastor. Then, the warfare in trying to get my driver license was intense (it took a week to finally get a rental car, my brother and I had to stand against division, and the examiner at the BMV must've took a sip of haterade before my exam). Mostly though, the enemy tried to discourage me and frustrate me in my thoughts. I spent more than one night crying and repeating II Corinthians 10:3-5. I've studied/reviewed Joshua 1 and II Corinthians 6:3-10 at least twice a month. I did what my Co-Pastor always tell me to do, and pressed my way on.

2011 was a great year for me. In so many ways, God did exceeding abundantly above all that I asked or thought. Spiritually, financially, emotionally, and mentally, it was perhaps the best year that I've had at this point in my life.


Looking Forward
I have to do more physical work. Honestly, I let my health/body go. After I came off a 33-day fast in 2010, I was eating healthier (no sugar, whole grains, less fat). But, I started back on caffeine, and it was downhill from there. I got better about eating fast food, but I gained about 80 pounds over the last two years. So, I'm going to do an extended fast sometime over the first weeks of 2012, and I'm going to HAVE to change my eating habits. I'm considering vegetarianism again. I was a vegetarian for about six months, and that was probably the healthiest six months of my adult life. I slept better, I had more energy, I felt lighter, I ate better, and I lost weight. At the very least, I'm definitely cutting back on meat.


I want more spiritual growth. I grew this year, but I need more. I want to be even more of a help to my Bishop and Co-Pastor, and I want to be more of an example to not just the saints at AWF, but to those around me. I want to spend more time in prayer and fasting this year. I want to be more of a "light in the midst of darkness" in 2012. Additionally, I want to continue to work to see the vision of Anointed Word Fellowship manifest in the next year (empowered disciples, more outreach and soul winning, more healing and miracles, new edifice, daycare...)

Operation: Get-car will definitely go down in 2012. I have things to do and places to go, and I don't plan on just having my driver's license for show... .

I hope to do more traveling this year. AWF isn't going to Tennessee this year, but that doesn't mean that I can't travel. I'm definitely looking into going to two family reunions in Georgia this summer (my maternal grandmother's people and my maternal grandfather's people). I would either like to try to go to the ocean (I've never seen the ocean). I would like to visit Chicago again this year (Taste of Chicago?). I'm even considering a trip to my favorite place in Tennessee (there's some restaurants I'd like to try).

I also hope that something happens in the "relationship" area in 2012 as well (smile)... .

*       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Well, that's all I have to say about this year. It's been great, and I don't think I can even imagine what God has in store for 2012.

I'll holla.

Operation: License

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Co-habitation (#tired)

Today, it just rose up in my spirit - an utter disgust for co-habitation and the need to talk about it.

At first, I just put a post on my Facebook page saying Boys and girls play house, men and women get married and make homes. Then I posted a few more comments. Finally, I decided to just write a blog and get it out of my system.


Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement where two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married. (from Wikipedia). I am against cohabitation (or shacking, as I like to call it). Ultimately, people will do as they please, but I wouldn't be who God called me and designed me to be if I didn't speak on it from a Christ-centric view.


I just can't understand what's wrong with marriage. If two people are willing to live in the same space, sleep in the same bed, and even (in many cases), bring children into the world, then why not do the adult thing, the righteous thing, and get married?


I think of several scriptures off the top of my head, including the following:

• The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 18:22, NLT)
• Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband (I Corinthians 7:2-3, KJV)
• ²²Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. ²⁴Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. ²⁹For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church (Ephesians 5:22-29)

In light of these scriptures, it should be obvious that a male that won't marry a female, but will cohabit with her, really doesn't love her. He may love the sex, or the free room and board, or the other benefits that may exist, but if he really loved her, he'd marry her and love her as Christ loved the church. Christ sacrificed for the church. Christ is long suffering with the church. Christ is kind to the church. Christ took care of the church. And if a male isn't willing to suffer, be kind, love unconditionally and take care of a female, then he needs to be honest and stop wasting that woman's time.

And if a woman knows that she has issues with submission, then she needs to be honest with herself and not try to have a relationship with a man. It's sad that some women will cater to a boyfriend, or a "baby-daddy", but when it comes to marriage and a husband, they get brand-new. The thing is, according to Ephesians 5:22, it's unto the Lord!!! A woman's submission to her husband is a reflection of her submission to God. If a women refuses to submit to a husband, that lets me know that she isn't submitting to God; she needs to tighten up her walk with God before even thinking about a relationship. And, the thing is, if a woman isn't obeying and submitting to God when it comes to cohabitation, that shows a lack of submission. Submission isn't cooking, cleaning, running bath water, giving a man sex whenever he wants it, and/or giving a man control of "your" life. Submission is reflecting the believer's relationship with God in a marriage. Submission is seeing Christ in the man and trusting in him to love you (woman) as Christ loved (agape) the church. When a man is truly of God, he'll be willing to say, "I do". He'll be faithful to you (woman) and God. He'll uphold, protect, and cherish you.

The thing that really burns me about cohabitation, though, is when children are involved. It's shameful that males and females would be selfish enough to put curses upon their children. Yes - I said it. Cohabitation is cursed. Let's be honest - usually, when a couple shacks, they don't get married; usually, the relationship fizzles out after a few years. So then, the children coming out of cohabitation relationship will most likely grow up in a broken home after the parents split ways. Then, the children will grow up with perverted views of manhood, womanhood, marriage, and family. Then, when those children reach adulthood, they'll either repeat the life (which really even life) modeled by the parents, or display some other form of dysfunction in their relationships.

Ok... I'm tired of writing. But, I was soooo fired up about 90 minutes ago. I'm tired of males not doing right by the these females and these children. I'm tired of these women settling for less; yes, less - a real man will come with marriage. I'm tired of children in adult bodies who's got life all messed up and won't be honest with themselves and others about what they want out of a relationship.

I'm done. I'll holla!

Thankful

I just wanted to share a piece of my evening on this blog...

Tonight, we had a dinner at church to celebrate Co-Pastor Booker's birthday. Usually we have Intercessory Prayer Service on Saturday evenings, but tonight we had a big seafood dinner (Co-Pastor LOVES seafood).

After eating all that lobster, shrimp, crab, tilapia, and other stuff, we took a few moments to sing praises unto God; it's always appropriate to lift him up in his house.

But Bishop Booker spoke something today that really connected with me. He spoke about being thankful and reminded us to be thankful for all that God has done for us. As he talked, I reflected upon 2011, and I started to cry as I reminded myself of just how good God has been to me.
I mean, he's provided my basic needs - shelter, food, employment (well, an unemployment check for the moment), clothes. I also have a cell and Internet at home. My brother is back home after four years, serving God and  attending college. I'm walking in my call to ministry (as hard as it is at times, but that's #TheLifeOfAnAssistantPastor). My bills are paid and my refrigerator is full. I'm healthy. I'm on top of the dirt instead of the dirt being on top of me.

I write this because I was feeling a little frustrated and restless in life. Sometimes, we as people look so hard at what we don't have that we overlook all that we have before us. I was feeling like that earlier, but God reminded me again of just how good he's been to me.

I also want to encourage anyone that may be reading this blog. God's been good to you as well. The fact that you're reading this blog says a lot - you can read, you have access to a computer/Internet, you're alive... . God has been good to you and I!

Well, that's my "off the dome" thought for the moment. I'll holla!