June 7, 2017
Take Back Your Power
July 31, 2016
Overcoming Indecision
You can easily feel overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make daily unless you have confidence in your ability to make right ones. Don’t ever say again, “I have a hard time making decisions,” because when you think and speak like that you are setting yourself up for confusion. Instead, you can believe the next time you need to make a decision that you will hear from God, be led by the Holy Spirit, and know what to do. Even if you have had difficulty doing so in the past, this is a new day for you, and you are in charge of your thinking—it is no longer in charge of you!
Power Thought: My mind is calm, and I’m in control of my thinking.
From the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2010 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
July 28, 2016
Liberty
- How much God loves and cares for us. (John 3:16-18)
- God will accept us no matter what we have done in the past. (Isaiah 1:18)
- God has the power to forgive us all of unrighteouness, if we ask Him. (Isaiah 43:25; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:9)
- When we are saved, God’s Spirit abides within us. ( Romans 8:9; I John 3:24, 4:13)
What has you bound? Is it a past relationship that went sour, or a marriage that ended in divorce? Maybe it’s alcohol, drugs, or sex. Whatever has you bound, you can be made free. As Jesus Christ stated in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth is, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23); and tomorrow is not promised. If you are tired of living in bondage, you can pray this prayer right where you are.
Dear God,
Thank you for allowing me to live until this very moment. If I had died before now, I would have gone to hell. I now repent of my sins; I am sorry for them, and do not want to sin any more. I want nothing to do with the devil. I choose to be Your child; a citizen of Your kingdom.
Jesus I accept You as my Savior. I truly thank You for shedding Your blood for my sins, and rising from the dead so that I too, may have victory over the grave. I love and will serve You from this day forward. AMEN
According to Psalm 51, King David went to God to plea for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing of his sins. He stated in verse 17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.” If you have sincerely prayed and went before God broken, God wants to mend you and make you whole.
A person without God is empty and incomplete. Jesus Christ emphatically stated in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit: for without me (apart from me) ye can do nothing.”
July 26, 2016
Wake Up America
The underlying force contributing to the demise of America isn't physical, but spiritual. And if we're going to make America great, we have to learn how to fight in a realm that's spiritual. (Ephesians 6:10-13)
According to John 10:10, the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. What was stolen, killed, and destroyed during the recent weeks of violence and who's to blame? Believe it or not, it's the enemy and his mission is gaining footage.
Luke 6:27-28 states, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. Remember the motto, "United We Stand, divided we fall." The power to make America great is within all of us. Not just the President, Congress, and the rich.
God needs a new nation of people who are willing to fight to restore, revive, and renew the spirit of America, and this blogpost serves as a recruitment message to the unsaved, and a wake-up message to the saved.
As long as America's spirit is broken, America will never be great. The only way to make America great is to be unified as One.
July 24, 2016
Responsibility
- Be responsible for your actions. No one can make you behave the way you do.
- Be responsible for your thoughts. No one can make you think the way you think.
- Take ownership of your feelings. No one can make you feel good or bad.
- Be responsible for your life. No one can make you have a fulfilled or dreadful life.
- Be responsible for how you are treated. You are treated the way you allow yourself to be treated.
- Be responsible for how you treat others. No one can make you respect or disrespect him or her.
- Be responsible for your relationship with God and others. God and no one can make you love them. The choice is ultimately yours.
July 21, 2016
You Can Have a Great Career
- Take Inventory of Your Strengths - What are your current strengths and how have you added value to your clients through your place of employment or business? If you can't answer these questions with clarity or certainty, a career assessment can help you develop a framework to discover your true passion, personal, or vocational traits.
- Develop a Contribution Plan - Once you’ve discovered your passion and strengths, create a plan to determine the contribution(s) and impact your passion and strength will make in the lives of others.
- Invest in Your Strengths – When you invest in yourself, your strengths will come into fruition and grow stronger as you elevate others. You can read books, periodicals, take an online course, enroll in a non-credit course, or join a networking group. Just don't tell yourself you don't have time or money to invest in your greatness.
July 12, 2016
Equal, But Different
Should women who live subjectively to men expect equal treatment?
According to Genesis 1:26, God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and to let them have dominion over every living thing that creeps on the earth. And, according to Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
These verses share how God equally created men and women in His image to have dominion over the earth in our own distinctive roles. If women grasp hold of this knowledge, maybe women will seek equality through the Image of God instead of man.
November 3, 2015
Do you want to get well?
The mother praised her son for his efforts to protect her when she spoke outside Potomac High School – where her son attended. She described her relationship with her live-in boyfriend as a friendship and stated, “I think sometimes you never think that helping someone will end up in this matter.” Our paraphrase, she never thought her efforts to help someone would result in her son’s death.
John Chapter 5 talks about a pool called Bethesda where sick people laid in wait for an angel to stir the pool water and whoever stepped in first would get healed from whatever disease they had. A man lying by the pool with an infirmity for thirty-eight years caught Jesus’ attention because He knew the infirmed man suffered with this condition for a long time. Jesus asked the infirmed man, “Do you want to be made well?” The infirmed man’s response, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
The debilitating health of many people lingers too long because of their beliefs and emotional strongholds. Unfortunately, many women fall prey to men who play victim of their inability to be fully engaged in society as a result of unhealed wounds or their choice to hold onto behaviors that contribute to violence. For thirty-eight years, the infirmed man waited for assistance to get in the pool of Bethesda. Jesus could have laid him in the pool, but instead, He told the man to, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Immediately, the man was made well, he took up his bed, and he walked.
Too many women are dying by the hands of men who haven’t recognized their need to get healed. So, women please stop jeopardizing the safety and sanity of yourself and family in the name of love and salvation. You do not have the power to heal or save, but God does. And, his healing and salvation is available to anyone who needs and wants it.
October 19, 2015
Identity
The social arena is inundated with individuals pretending to be something they're not. And what's startling is people who are normally content with their identity, become discontent after interacting with a new social group or environment.
The Apostle Paul was a persecutor of the followers of Christ, and was miraculously converted to a follower himself. Paul realized it was God's grace that made him who he had become - an Ambassador for Christ. As an Ambassador, Paul traveled to different countries to organize churches and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was not ashamed of being a servant of God and did not waiver in his new identity with Him.
If you have a relationship with God without titles or a series of letters behind your name, be proud to be His servant. Accomplishments without a relationship with Him are good, but their value outside His will may not hold much weight.
Praise God for who you are - His workmanship for good works preordained before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 2:10). And walk boldly in your creation because you were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God (Psalm 139:14).
June 8, 2015
Feelings vs. Facts
If you’ve experienced an offence at work, think before you respond or react. And if you want an apology or resolve from the offender, here are a few things to consider:
- Was the offence intentional? If so, can you prove it?
- What was your emotional state when the offence occurred?
- Are you viewing the current offence through the lens of your past?
- What impact does the offence have on you and the company as a whole if it’s not addressed and resolved?
May 14, 2015
Pursue Your Greatest Self
We set our heights to empower women to transform their lives by transforming their minds through biblically-based fellowships and our quarterly newsletter - Inspirational Expressions. As we evolved, we realized we lost focus on our spiritual core.
What was true at our origin stands true today; women cannot achieve or be their greatest without knowing their true power. Unfortunately, this power has been decreased to sexuality and looks, and this power isn’t sustainable like our innate power during seasonal challenges.
Oprah Winfrey states, “Everyone is trying to pursue their greatest being of their true selves.” If this is true for you, here are a few things to consider:
- Seek God first and His wisdom (Matthew 6:13; James 1:5).
- Pray and give thanks always (I Thessalonians 5:17-18).
- See yourself as God does because we were fearfully and wonderfully made in His image (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 139:14).
- Get rid of limited beliefs about God and your potential because through Him all things are possible and we can do any and every thing through His power and strength (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13).
- Govern your life according to God’s will because He will not withhold things that are good from people that walk upright (Psalm 84:11).
- Live life with abundance filled with joy, hope, love, and contentment (John 10:10).
- Trust God with your heart, mind, and soul (Proverbs 3:5).
April 23, 2015
Fret Not
Fretting is energy that can leave you stagnant. Quite frankly, it’s wasted energy. Whether your co-worker gets your dream job without much effort, a friend with a promiscuous past gets married during your season of singleness, a surprise break-up, or a family member moves into their luxury abode while you struggle to pay rent, envy will leave you powerless.
The hurt or disappointment does not entitle you to live a life looking through the lens of anger, rage, or worry. It does give you an opportunity to learn how to accept and deal with the growing prevalence of evil, ill-treatment, and personal deficiencies. Critic Samuel Johnson advised, "He who has so little knowledge of human nature to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief which he purposes to remove."
Thinking, talking, and hoarding envy, keeps it alive and seeking revenge can rob you of positive creativity and internal peace.
According to Roman 12:19, “vengeance belongs to God and He will repay.” So, turn every negative situation and person over to God and put envy to rest.
March 2, 2015
Giving: An Antedote to Poverty?
When people are in need, some tend to their needs first before others. This is especially true for women and families living without basic necessities for an extended period of time. However, the widow woman did not allow her extremities to prevent her from making provisions for Elijah. Following are a few characteristics the widow woman exuded that changed her impoverished stance:
- She was not a complainer.
- She was very humble and industrious.
- She was charitable and generous.
- She had strong faith and confidence in God and His word.
Matthew 10:8b states, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Galatians 6:7b, states, “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” And, Luke 6:38 states, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
The measure of our lives will be determined by how we give, not how we receive. How does your life measure up?
Note: Bible verses are from The King James Version of the Bible.
February 2, 2015
Twelve ways to ‘C’ your way through 2015
- Clarity – Get clear on who you want to become and what you want to achieve.
- Completion – What will be the positive or negative result if you achieve or don’t achieve your desired outcome?
- Confide – Tell at least one person that will hold you accountable to creating change in your life.
- Commitment – Create a plan and system to be steadfast and unmovable.
- Chase – Pursue only your dreams; not the dreams of others.
- Control – Take control of the forces (e.g., habits, people, or substances) that can create barriers to achieving your inner-most desires.
- Confidence – You have everything within you to succeed. Do not base your success on external conditions.
- Condition – We are what we think. Defeated thoughts will lead to a defeated life. Train your mind to win.
- Courage – Be audacious and create your own path for success.
- Contentment – Be satisfied with what you have and don’t compare yourself to others.
- Character – Who are you or who will you become as a result of you reaching your goal(s)?
- Contribute – Sow into the lives of others as you strive for success. You will be amazed of what you will reap.
December 2, 2014
Invest in yourself
"If my company wants me to stay, they should pay for my training."
"As soon as I get my MBA, I’m out of here!"
"I only enroll in workshops or classes that are free."
If your company pays for training, who’s investing in your professional development, you or your company? If your company pays, what do they get in return? If you pay, what’s the ROI (Return on Investment) for your growth and development?
Imagine hiring a contracting company that specializes in home renovations showing up at your doorstep without the skills, tools, or resources to perform the job. Would you pay for the training and resources the contracting company needs to complete the job? Or, would you hire another contracting company equipped with resources and expertise to meet your requirements and deadline to renovate?
Corporations are discovering better ways to yield returns on their resources and investments. And unfortunately, this doesn’t include ‘human’ capital because too many corporations have witnessed and experienced their education and training investments walk out the door.
If your career has come to a screeching halt, evaluate where you invest most of your time and money. If you plan to excel in your current or future place of employment, you have to transition to self-directed and life-long learners. The library is replete with ‘free’ resources for professional or career development and some organizations are replete with ‘fee-based’ resources. The resource you choose would be based on what you’re trying to achieve and why?
Education has been recognized as an integral path to economic empowerment and wealth. Not designer bags, shoes, or acrylic nails. If you’ve been blessed with these things great! But, if you invest more in these things than yourself, evaluate how these things have positioned you to create the foundation to your financial independence and stability?
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “We buy what we want and beg for what we need”. Education is a needed commodity to evolve and thrive in today’s society and your growth will be measured by what you endow to yourself.
October 31, 2014
Things or Experience?
In addition, 72% of millennials shared they would like to increase their spending on experiences, and 69% say that their experiences make them feel more connected to their communities, other people, and the world.
In 1998, B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore published an article - The Experience Economy. In this article, they state businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers, and that memory (i.e., experience) itself becomes the product. Savvy businesses use this model and charge for the value of their "experience" product because they know if they create experiences that are exciting and transcendent, they can build a community of fans that will rave about their 'experience.'
Jesus Christ created a community of raving fans because He always gave people what they needed - a spiritual transformation. Example, a Samaritan woman went to Sychar to draw water from a well where Jesus was sitting. Her encounter with Jesus transformed her life when He told her about herself and offered her a drink of 'living' water that would quench her spiritual thirst forever.
After her encounter and transformation, she returned to her town and told everybody about her 'experience' with Jesus. As a matter of fact, she left her pail of water at the well.
Matthew 6:19-21, states, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Experience is what transforms, things pile up. What are you willing to invest in that will lead to your stronger 'inner' being?
September 30, 2014
A World without Women
- Discover their purpose and not allow people or external circumstances deter them from their destined path.
- Live according to their uniqueness and convictions; not societal norms.
- Know their rights as a citizen and in the workplace and hold people accountable who inflict harm to them.
- Increase and stabilize their self- and net-worth to create personal and financial stability.
- Stop defining their value based on their sexuality or possessions.
- Connect with people who exalt others and not themselves.
- Be decisive and fearless about their beliefs and choices.
August 12, 2014
SOFEI's Top Ten
- Am I Wrong - Nico & Vince
- Try - Colbie Caillat
- Beautiful Flower - India Arie
- Hear My Call - Jill Scott
- Golden - Jill Scott
- Bravo - Ledisi
- Superwoman - Alicia Keys
- Just Fine - Mary J. Blige
- Didn't Know My Own Stength - Whitney Houston
- Turning Around for Me - Vashawn Mitchell
March 31, 2014
It's Time to Clean House
Just as the elderly woman collected worthless items, there are many people who gather and hold onto people and things that deplete or bring detriment to their spiritual or emotional well-being. Worthless items like negative thinking, self-denial, stressful living, defeat, deceit, jealousy, fear, anger, covetousness, envy, anxiety, lack of self-control, hatred, low self-worth and self-esteem.
When we pray and ask God for deliverance from our trials and tribulations, healing from a broken or wounded heart, or for a financial blessing, He can't deliver when our internal being is cluttered. For example, when a pilot attempts to land a plane, the pilot verifies if the pathway is clear. If it isn't, the pilot goes into a holding pattern. God is like the pilot! He wants to deliver your blessing or deliverance, but your pathway isn’t clear.
Your blessing or deliverance is on hold and God is willing, able, and ready to release it; but, you have to clean house! Get rid of everyone and everything that's cluttering your life. It will take commitment, determination, and patience. Don't look for quick cleaning methods or solutions, but roll up your sleeves, and clear areas often missed or overlooked. A clean house (i.e., internal) will make room to receive everything you need to live a focused, fulfilled, and joyous life.
March 24, 2014
I Am What I Am!
They came from the mind of God.
In the secrecy of their mother’s womb, they were fearfully and wonderfully made.
To live and fulfill God’s divine purpose and perfect will,
with their shape, size, and beautiful skin shade.
They are who they are, by God’s grace.
They have strength, courage, and perseverance to run and finish their race.
Their spirit has been quickened, they are no longer God’s enemy and Satan’s slave.
By God’s unconditional love and power, they were raised from the carnal grave.
As a chosen, redeemed, and predestined Saint, they know how to behave!
Everything God created is good, and we were created to bring glory and honor to Him (Isaiah 43:7). We all have unique features and characteristics to fulfill God’s purpose.
Whether we are light or dark, full or small figured, we should not allow ourselves to be victimized because of who we are, nor should we criticize others for who they are not. When we start accepting and embracing our uniqueness, God will manifest His power to help us love ourselves and others unconditionally.