STEPS ON HOW TO SUCCESFULLY TRANSITION TRTHROUGH SEASONS OF TRANSITIONS.

STEPS ON HOW TO SUCCESFULLY TRANSITION TRTHROUGH SEASONS OF TRANSITIONS.
1. Make one decision at a time, usually times of transition brings alot of decisions to be made, and often it seems like they all need to be made at once. The key is to do first things first, what is the most urgent thing? What needs to be done next.? One thing at a time. Simplify your decisions, don't overthink and do not over spiritualise, somethings just need a pros and cons list.
2. Learn to rest, seasons of transitions usually are about developing your faith, i believe 90 percent of the time they are about developing your faith, ask God, what he is trying to show you, ask him . how can we lean on you more? what are you saying? Transitions are not about just navigating comfortabbly they are about learning to be planted deep in God's goodness.
3. Do not be lead by your emotions or what you see, as i prayed for a recent mentee, the lord said do not let the barriers make you forget your destination...in transitions it not just about what you know, but who you know, you have to know God is good and his plans for you are good.
4. Transitions are the process of getting from one place to another, you will have to learn to trust God and jump, if you are married you will need to get into agreement with your partner and jump, you may not have it all figuered out but timing in transition is key...if you move to slow you may miss the window , if you move to fast you may miss it. Lean into God and jump.
5. You will not have the answers to everything, everything will not be clear, even as you jump, but scripture says that after you11 suffered a little while may the God of peace strengthen,perfect and establish, do not worry do not fret, wait on the lord and be of Good courage, always rejoice in all things.

What you should ask before asking if they are the one!

One of the things i am constantly counseling people on is courtship/ dating as a christian. Unfortunately many people have questions when it is too late. I believe  that before you even make a decision to court someone you should ask the questions below. First, let me give my definition of courtship, as believers we should intentionally enter into relationships, we should not try people out like samples in a grocery store. We all have the ability to hear from God, so when we are interested in someone we should ask some preliminary questions before even entering into a relationship. It is also very important to submit your interest to people around you that you trust and hear from God. There is safety in a multitude of counselors!
Here are some questions to discuss with your person of interest.

1. Our we equally yoked, not just does he go to church but spiritually do we understand each other, do we have the same passions and interest even in the things of God.
2. Do our visions line up; you both don't need to be in the same career field, but your passions need to line up, you need to make sure you can both compliment each other and propell each other. The person you marry is the biggest indicator of whether you will fulfill your destiny!
3. Do we challenge each other to grow in God and as people. I read somewhere that you should want to marry someone you want to be like, can you answer that.
4. Do you have the same values on family, money, religion etc.
5. And most importantly  are you both ready and in position to be married; if not you do not even need ask the first 4 questions.


To me this is the place to start, if you can answer these questions,  then you can begin to pray if you need to proceed. when it comes to relationships as Christians we tend to complicate things, some things are very practical, God will add his supernatural touch but somethings are very practical!! Ask questions, seek council and pray!! May God bless you and the person God has for you!!

A place called home.

Every believer needs a place called home, we were not made to wonder from church to church, group to group. The DNA  of family is in each of us, God has a certain people, tribe, group whatever you want to call it, for you to grow up in. Community allows us to see who we really are. God loves family, it is his idea. He never created us to  to be out on our own, wondering around alone. We  were made to thrive and grow in community. Even if you are not called to work in the church but outside the church walls, everyone needs a place to call home. Slow down and settle down. I know, I know. Some of  you have been hurt by the place you called home, but you know it is a family. Just like in your natural family, you may fight with siblings or disagree with your parents most people usually heal and keep going. And then there those family where the parents may misuse or abuse you, in those moments we learn to love like God loves. We do not have to stay in the house, but we leave them letting them know we love them and we get planted in a family where we are affirmed, encouraged and stretched.

A family encourages you, corrects you, it fights for you, and loves you to life. It is not perfect but you feel like you belong there. The family does not let you settle, the family pushes you to grow, To do more, to heal to be all God has called you to be. Who is your spiritual family? they may meet in a big mega church, in a home or a small store front church. They may meet on wednesday or sunday or monday. Who are the people you have chosen to give parts of your life too? Who have you chosen to be accountable too? To say there are big brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers that i can submit too, who is that to you?

You will know you have found your family, becuase the message of the leaders will resonate with your passion and your calling and all God has called you too. You will feel alive there, not tired or weary. You will be encouraged and pushed to excel. Your family will help you mature and go from glory to glory to glory. Who is your family? Your family they will know your gifts and talents, sometimes even before you do and they will say " you can do it!" "this is you" you where made to soar, you were made for something more.  Within the huge family of Christ, God has given smaller families which plug us into the heart of all God has for the big family .

Soon there will be a family reunion, and we will all be asked what we have brought to the meeting. We will meet with our lord and savior the head of our family. He will then say I gave a life, what did you do with it. Did you learn to love? did you learn to live a poured out life. All that begins with family, community and oneness. If you do not have a spiritual family, ask God to lead you! Remember he leads us into all truth!! He wants you to soar and grow.

It will not be always be easy, but change and growth always comes from friction and a little seed pushing through the ground, and sometimes that Ground comes in the form of people, that help water, nourish as well s push you forward till you are a full oak tree.

Money ain't a thing

I never really talk about about money, but for some reason this morning, I felt a grace and an anointing to right about it. So here goes, Money gives you choices, it gives you access, it gives you freedom. Some people in the body of Christ need to get over the fear of money. The fear of talking about it, and the fear of having it. You are not more holy  or more faithful if you are always believing God for money, or crying out to God for money. They are seasons where we have to trust God for money and seasons where we have to develop our character so he can trust us with more, but where you are right now is not your permanent place. Prosperity of the soul is not just salvation it is prosperity spiritually, emotionally and financially. God calls us to prosper just as our soul prospers, he calls us to live abundant lives. Abundance, comes in knowing him, in knowing our purpose and having the resources to walk in it. The LOVE of money is the issue, when you begin to make money your focus or make money more of a priority than God, or your family then you are headed down a dark path. But God has given us the wisdom to gain wealth as it says in Deuteronomy 18. What wisdom is he releasing to you? what Ideas has he given you?  it is time to break out of the norm and press into all God has for you. He is calling us to the nations and beyond ourselves and he has called us becuase he has already released the provision, we just need to learn how to access it.

Fruitfulness

Relationships are built and sustained through intentionality, commitment, openness, forgiveness and perseverance, apart from that the do not last. I strongly feel God is calling some individuals to reconnect with friends and family through committing to intentionally making it work. Do not let distance, disagreements or frustrations interfere in divine connections.

Life is made of connections, people, & community. Without friends, we can't  fully blossom to be all we are meant to be. It is important to realize the people that are meant to be in your life and those who are not meant to be there. When you do , we will know who to invest your time and energy into. Many people invest there strength and time in friendships that yield no fruit. As people of the vine, everything we do should bare fruit. We are engrafted in to bare fruit. Our friendships, jobs, lives should bare fruit. Friends are the nutrients that help us grow and blossom, toxic friends whether us and cause us to rot from the root. As God to show you the fertilizers, the waters and the sun shines in your life. When you know who they are, make sure you love them, forgive them, cherish them and hold on to them.

One does not need alot of friends, but we all need a few good friends. Friends that will hold us down, when the winds of life are blowing. We are all called to be friends, to be kind, to be gentle and to love well. If we can give this in return. Our papa will have a whole field full of blossoming trees.

Oneness-Power of agreement

One of the man things the enemy is after is the power of agreement. God honors agreement. He honors one accordness (I know i am making that word up) But God is looking for people who will be one. He is looking for a church which will think as one, friends with one passion one purpose, marriages with one heart beating together to release the glory of God. When we come out of agreement, we give the enemy a reason to come in. He looks for opportunities when we are vulnerable, when we are angry, or frustrated to separate us. You know how wolves do; they will look for the weak sheep; separate it from the other sheep and then go in for the kill. That's what  the enemy does, he looks for moments when you and your spouse, friend , or family  are out of agreement, and if you stay apart long enough he will begin to visit the other person and speak lies. You must fight for agreement in your relationships, fight to be one, fight to agree with what God has said in his word. 

Fight for  the words that have been declared over your life even if life does not look like what you thought. Just as you can come out of agreement with friends and family, you can come out of agreement with God's purposes becuase of discouragement or fear or worry. You must Fight to stay one with God, one in spirit, one with his thoughts . My prayer for you is that you will keep  unity of mind and heart not just with one another, but with God the author and finisher of your faith!

Wait and be of Good courage!

In 2010, God called Shami Makonyonga, Natalie Farber and myself to contend for marriages in the body of Christ. He called us to pray for single Christians to get married, couples to have children and for restoration of the family. Many laughed and said "you can't do anything about when your spouse comes" we said "we know, however we are praying against any blocks or hindrances, that would prohibit them from coming, whether in us or in them; We knew we were releasing the agenda of God on earth as it is in heaven. We do not fast and pray to manipulate God, but it does allow us to position our hearts to hear his plans and it shows him our desire for his intervention. Through that fast God encountered over 500 men and women from around the world he has released brokenness and brought reconciliation!

We contended not having anyone in sight, but believing that by 2012 the majority of the people on the line would be married or have children. We prayed in 2010, 2011, and then this year! I AM SO EXCITED TO SAY BY THE END OF 2012 ALL THREE OF US (the leaders of the fast)WILL BE MARRIED, GOD IS FAITHFUL, HE LOVES HIS CHILDREN AND GIVES THEM GOOD GIFTS.
Keep believing, keep rejoicing for others, keep loving well, in Due season you will reap your harvest.

During the first fast he birthed a ministry through us called  Women's international fellowship Encounters (W.I.F.E ). The organization is aimed at helping women develop as mothers, wives and individuals called to impact the world. When God gave us the vision, we had no husbands or children. We cried out to God and said God make our lives a demonstration of your goodness. The lord said" hold the vision and wait," so we did. We are proud to say this  AUGUST  24th and 25th at our first "Marriage Preparation Conference" in Atlanta, we will launch the vision God Gave us almost 3 years ago!! Did I mention God is faithful! He is good, he makes all things new and causes us to prosper. 

"Wipe your tears and put on your dancing shoes, winter has passed and the time of singing has come. Whether it is marriage, children, jobs, ministry , career, health whatever, GOD IS FAITHFUL UNTIL THE END, BELIEVE HIM, WHAT ON HIM. HIS TIME AND WAYS ARE PERFECT!"