Taming the beast...

It's seems as though every day new lessons present themselves to me during familiar situations. Although I have dealt with this issue more times than I care to say...I 've got to tame the beast within. The beast that I speak of is my mouth. I'm sure most of us had found ourselves in a situation in which we were compelled to give our opinion. Well I found myself in that situation tonight. It was a very simple situation that if left "untouched" would have remained someone else's issue and not mine. After the fact, I felt as if the Spirit was telling me that if I had not commented when something was said that I didn't agree with, then it would have just gone away...at least as far as I am concerned. I once wrote an article about fueling the fire and how our responses often makes molehills into mountains. Well, I believe my rebuttal served to escalate the situation beyond what it would have gone without my input. Lesson learned today, I've got to learn to keep my mouth shut, be slow to anger, resist offense, and let simple things roll off my back. Oh, the peace I would have. What's the old saying..."pick your battles". Well, next time I take this test, I plan to pass.

The power of praise...

Isn't it ironic how you can be in a place of greater hunger for the things of God, longing for a more intimate relationship with the Father, seeking to offer genuine praise and worship from a place deep within your soul...and then life happens. One attack, then another...all designed to make you shift focus from the Problem Solver to the problem. Why are we so easily shaken? Why can't we see that there is power in our praise and worship? The enemy sees it and he attacks with the intention of stripping us of that power. If he can cause us to stop praising and worshiping, he's already won. When we allow adversity to get us away from that very special place with God, we essentially give our power away...we don't even put up a fight. We allow feelings of sadness, anger, frustration and disappointment to disillusion us and cause us to turn away from the One who has the power to deliver us. It is time to take back our power; to praise like never before, to make worship an integral part of our lives. We must praise Him for all He's done, worship Him for who He is and trust Him to make it all right. Our praise must supersede our pain. This, that and the other shall all pass, but our praise, our worship...should be here to stay.

A Call To Worship (Continued)...

Tonight was so awesome! Dr. Tomlinson called the people to worship...and we did. A Call To Worship: What Did You Bring? What offering do we bring when we come before the King? Are we too cute to worship. Is our hair to "did" for us to worship. What do we bring...true worship? How often have we bowed down before the Lord, laid prostrate before him? It is time to worship!!! Doesn't matter whose to the left or right of us, doesn't matter who is looking at us, doesn't matter what people think about us...it's time to worship!!! I must worship! We must worship! Let us worship Him!

A Call To Worship...

Well about two months ago my family from B'more sent me an email asking me about going to a women's conference. They thought that I would get a lot out of it. Although somewhat hesitantly, I decided to attend. Well the theme of the conference (which I did not know when I decided to go) is "A Call To Worship". How very appropriate for this time in my life. I have gleaned such awesome nuggets from the beautiful and anointed women of God. Prophetess Coleby spoke about how we have to be in right standing to offer up true worship. How our hearts cannot be tainted with hatred, malice, ill will, bitterness, and strife if we expect our worship to please God. She talked about how we come to church with all the goodies jumping out distracting others (men) who should be worshiping. My auntie continued the call as she asked "where are the nine"! Where are we when we should be worshiping God? Ten lepers were healed and only one returned to thank and glorify Jesus...were not ten healed? Has God not done many things for us all, why aren't we worshiping him? Not just at church but in our secret closet at home...just you and God. Prophetess Dawkins then spoke to all the married women about being a wife at home. Supporting and loving our husbands while watching God take our ministry/gifts to the next level. We can't expect God to work in and through us while we disrespect our spouses. She said we should be praying for them and when there is an issue take it to God. She said we have to learn when it's time to shut up. All that I have heard this weekend has served to further drive me into a place of closer intimacy with God. I've got a lot of work to do and I and determined to get to the place I should have been a long time ago. Forgive me Lord for not offering my best worship. I know that I cannot be perfect, but I can strive for it. The Lord is working on my heart and as he works my walk and talk should come up a notch or ten :-). I have been truly blessed this weekend and thank God for insights and wisdom gained. Well gotta go to service...more to come!

Intimacy (Into-Me-See) with the Master...

My Pastor taught tonight on spending time with God. I know this would greatly enhance my worship and praise to Him, as I would know Him more intimately. I often pray for God to take my dance ministry to the next level but I know I've got to do my part. Oh, how intimately I want to know Him...such wonderful praise and worship it would be. I think I have allowed bouts of discouragement, anxiety, and depression, along with fear and lack of confidence to hinder my worship. I'm so hard on myself it's crazy. I can only imagine how God could work through me, if I would focus more on Him, than on the issues in my life. If I would simply let go and let God, I could be free from those strongholds which keep me from giving God my absolute best. It's time to rebuild, refresh, renew, rejuvenate, and rekindle my relationship with my God, my Father, my Savior, my Friend. I've got to get into my secret place and sit in his presence, commune with him, listen to him, be with him. How hard is that? My goal is to make and keep my appointment with God daily. What could be more important? (NOTHING!)

For Every Mountain...

Big ups to my girl Kara...you rocked that mime today. I have a real problem with people just doing the routine with no heart. I have found that perfect technique or lavish choreography does not move me. I am moved, my spirit leaps and my heart is touched when a praise/worship dancer or mime ministers with their heart. Anyone (well... most, ok, a lot of people) can learn a routine. But can you truly minister to the hearts of the people. Well Kara you did just that today. I'm so proud of my Kara!!!

Pushing for Perfect Praise...

Hello people! I had a thought the other day that I needed to develop a renewed passion for dance...praise dance that is. I've been dancing for some years now yet I feel as though I am not as passionate as I was when I began. I created this blog to chronicle my journey back to more purposeful and passionate praise. My simple prayer is that I will have the heart of a true worshipper and offer uninhibited perfect praise unto God that will minister to the hearts of men.