The Unsung Hero of Christmas

Matt 1:18-25

I can count on both hands the number of Christmas carols that mention Mary. But is there even a song written about Joseph? He's the forgotten man of Christmas. We celebrate everything, from reindeers to chestnuts to mistletoe, but we forget poor old Joseph. Even the wise men have their own ditty.


But Joseph is the unsung hero of Christmas. Imagine how hard his life must have been. He finds out his girlfriend is pregnant, but the child is not his. Then Mary tells him that she's a virgin and the child is from the Holy Ghost. I'm sure he wanted to believe her, but I'm sure he had doubts.


But Joseph was a young man who could be counted on to always do the right thing. And so rather than embarrassing Mary, he tried to find a way to protect her. In those days, a woman who was pregnant out of wedlock could actually be stoned. She would definitely be an outcast and shunned by her family.


Then the angel of God visited Joseph and confirmed Mary's story. That baby was no accident. That baby was conceived in Mary, a virgin, by the Holy Spirit. That baby was the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. Yes, Joseph would have a courtside seat to the greatest story ever told. God's unfolding plan of salvation and redemption.


God knew he could trust Joseph with this incredible mission, because Joseph always sought to do the right thing in whatever situation he found himself in. It would be Joseph's job to raise Jesus as his own son.


Joseph was trustworthy. Joseph was honest. Joseph had integrity.

Could that be said about you this Christmas? Are you a young person who can be trusted to always do the right thing, even if it costs you something? Teens with integrity are rare—so precious that they shine light bright lights in a world of darkness.


Be that bright light this Christmas.

DAYDREAMING

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

I know, it's been a while, huh? Sorry for the long absence. Actually, I had forgot all about this blog to tell you the truth. This past Monday, my best friend, my soul sister, her mother died and after that, finals and her was all that was on my mind. But from her, I learned the heart of a true servant. First of all, she asked me Sunday if it was her day to do the blog...huh? what? What blog? HOW did she even remember, all the things she must be thinking, and I couldn't even remember, what with my two thoughts? And while I spent a few days with her, she asks me every once in a while, "Ace, you ok?" Ma'am, are YOU ok?

She is so amazing; she is such a rock. I just would like for everyone to keep her as well as her family raised in prayer. Her mother was a wonderful woman, I know personally; a strong woman of God who clearly affected everyone she met, was the backbone of her family, support of her church, and the light of Christ at her job.

I LOVE YOU TRE! I pray you let the Comforter comfort you in various ways and give you peace; just as you are my Comfort and my peace.  ;-)  (Don't be mad; it's a secret!)

Anyways, I'll let DS Ariel Piercing stun you with one of her great entries, and the show is back on the road.

DAYDREAMING


I am a daydreamer. I love to daydream about my present situations, about the way my future will be and about how I could have performed living in the past. I’ve decorated my future home, dressed my future children, told off my future boss and named my students in my future class. I’ve picked a future haircut, driven my future car and organized my future closet. In a few seconds thoughts go from an innocent day dream to a controlling nightmare. I’ve realized that no longer do I think about my future, I essentially try to plan my life. Now, there’s nothing wrong with daydreaming except that God has continually told me that though I must plan for my future , I need to live in the present and focus on what He wants me to do in this season. This requires surrendering all that I want and giving my life – including my future to God.

Considering that I am a control freak, this is a difficult feat for me. Like all people, my sins begin in the mind with my thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 talks about how we must take captive every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ. Taking captive our thoughts is an active action. Though my thoughts were necessarily “bad,” they were not beneficial. Instead of waking up thinking about how I could serve God for the day, I would lay in bed for a few minutes daydreaming about what I’ll drive when I’m thirty. That’s nonsense! My thoughts were more concerned with my future than they were concerned with present. Basically, my thoughts were filled with me more than they were with God.

I’ve found that when my mind starts to wander, I have to literally make myself stop thinking and focus on something else. This in itself is not enough. I have to replace my thoughts with something that glorifies the Father. So, I’ve started to memorize scriptures - not just any scriptures, but scriptures that talk about whatever specific struggle I have. For example, one of my memory verses in Proverbs 11:2. This verse deals with pride, something that thought I am delivered from, I still have to work at. This has been an awesome way to keep my mind occupied on Christ and also to strengthen me spiritually as well.

If you’re having a hard time keeping your mind on God pray that He’ll give you a technique that works for you! Working on taking captive your thoughts and stay in the Word!

It's Finals time!!!

Well, it's time again. Finals time.

Whether you go to Howard or not, undergraduate or graduate student...the end of the semester is here or nearing and it's time for final exams/projects/papers and all of that. Frankly, I'm tired of it all. Sometimes you get to the end and realize that CLEARLY you're priorities weren't in order and now you have a huge paper due and you're kind of scrambling to get it done at the last minute..*cough, cough*...or, you know, maybe not. Maybe you're the one who is always on your A game when it comes to academics. And the end of the semester is here and you're all caught up, studying for finals and you're really just tired. Ready for Christmas break to begin so you can chill and relax your brain, but you have to make it through the finals. Not that you won't, just you would much rather be at the end than SEE the end. Oh the path to the end of the semester.







Well, today, I just wanted to encourage everyone and encourage myself that the end is yet near!!! I also want to offer some advice as we get into the whole end of the semester thing:






1. Try to get as much sleep as possible: Now, I know some of you who know me are probably thinking I am the LAST person to be talking about getting sleep. And, yes, you are right. But that doesn't mean I don't have a point. Don't study study study and not sleep. Try to get a few hours, at least, so you can go into your exam semi well rested and get an A on your exam. It probably isn't a good idea to study for 3 days then go into the test and have a hard time because your brain won't function. Naps are good friends...they can refresh you when you don't necessarily have time for a full 8 hrs.






2. Eat: Make sure to eat and eat well. It seems the later we stay up the more likely we are to eat worse. Try to throw some fruit and veggies in there to keep you alert and healthy while you sit in the chair or on the couch or in the bed and study.






3. PRAY: Now, these are not in any type of order, but do this early on. Believe me, many a time I get discouraged and definitely need to call on Jesus because I just don't see how any of this is going to get done and the only thing in my head is the date that I'm leaving. But ask God to help you and to bring all things to your rememberance (John 14:26) and remember that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philipians 4:13).






4. This kinda depends on you, but if it helps, study with someone or have someone check on you: This can be good because it can help you from getting distracted and/or falling asleep. Accountability is great...sometimes we need that push to really be productive or keep being productive. In addition to this, try to have someone that will encourage you. Someone who can tell you when you're semi freaking out, that everything will be ok. Someone to pray for you too! It helps!






5. Know your study environment needs and go there: If you know you can't study in your room because the bed calls your name and 10min in you're sleep, DON'T STUDY THERE. Go to the library, form a study group, go to a study room. Similarly, if studying with a certain someone or someones, DON'T STUDY WITH THEM. Do whatever you have to..just ensure that wherever you are, you can study effectively.






6. Ask for help: Whether from a friend or a professor, if you don't understand something, ask. Someone might have a trick for remembering that equation or (for my fellow language majors out there) that conjugation or that term. You never know! And by that same token, avail yourself to help someone.






7. Relax: Remember Philipians 4:6-7 which states, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I think this scripture was written for finals time! Can I get an amen!? Second ago I was...almost out of my mind because of these things I have to do, but fortunately I have two very close friends who are encouraging me. And plus, this scripture tells us to present our requests to God..and then..THEN the peace of God..God's peace!? That's some good peace right there. Will guard our hearts and minds. Well, praise God...(Shout out to DS Lyrical Wisdom)..so yes. RELAX...WOOSAH...WOOSAH...






So, yes. Those are some steps to getting through finals...Remember that nothing is impossible with God, but we also have to do our part. Pray..study..study effectively..and when you are finished, give it to God. Yes, give the final to God. We got this!!!


 Happi Graduation to DS Fidelity...we shall miss you!!!



Happy End of the semester, ladies and gentlemen. Love you all =) We can do it!
 

He's Looking For You!

He's Looking for You!  By Gloria Copeland

" For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chron. 16:9).

God is looking for you. That's right. If you'll read the Bible, you'll see that ever since the world began He's been looking for people who by faith and obedience would allow Him to bless them right here on the earth. He's been looking for people who would allow Him to demonstrate His power on their behalf - people whose supernaturally abundant lives would make them a walking advertisement of the mercy and power of God.

For example, look at the children of Israel in the Old Testament. God wanted them to be this kind of people. He prepared a marvelous land for them to enjoy. It was a land flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8). It was a land of rest and abundance where no enemy could stand before them and no sickness or disease could stay on their bodies (Ex. 23:25).


In fact, as soon as they came out of slavery in Egypt, God wanted them to go to that land. It was a short journey. But they wouldn't go! Instead, they spent 40 years wandering around in the wilderness, getting nowhere.


All this happened thousands of years ago, but do you know what? God hasn't changed at all since then. He still wants to lead His people into a place of blessing and prosperity. The problem is that in many ways His people haven't changed that much either. The same thing that kept the children of Israel out of the Promised Land is keeping most believers out of their personal promised land today. The problem is unbelief.


"But Gloria, that can't apply to me. I believe in God." Israel believed in God too. But when the scouts sent into the Promised Land came back and reported there were giants there, the children of Israel became scared.


If they had believed God, it wouldn't have mattered how big those giants were, they could have marched right in there expecting God to make those giants scatter in every direction. But they didn't believe God!


So often we try to be smart and figure things out instead of just trusting God and doing what He says. And as a result, we end up in disobedience-which always leads to unbelief. But God doesn't ask us to be smart. All He asks us to do is to listen to His Word and obey His voice. Why? Because He knows that if we don't, we'll end up living out our lives on this earth in a wilderness of defeat like that generation of Israelites did.

God is looking for you. Don't let the giants in your life scare you into hiding. Don't let them defeat you. Stand up and let God see you. Let Him know you'll be faithful and obedient. Let Him know you'll trust Him and His Word no matter what the circumstances say or look like. Then worship Him knowing you'll see Him demonstrate His power and faithfulness on your behalf!






Speak the Word: I keep my heart perfect toward God so that He shows Himself strong on my behalf. (2 Chron. 16:9)

For Further Study: Numbers 13:25-33
Daily Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 23-24; 1 Thessalonians 2

Source: Pursuit of His Presence by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

Lonely

Today, loneliness just hit me like a bullet, piercing through my heart.

I'm the type to love hard. And for all of those in my life, I love you fiercer than you'd ever know.

But sometimes...I just want a man, you know? Someone physically here to share my heart, mind (and it's deep!), and soul with. Because I love hard. And I put every effort into my relationships that count.

Which made me think about my relationships, and how most of them I felt like I loved more, that I loved harder. And I thought about things I could have done to make them love me more, make them want to stay, make them want to make it work as much as I did. Because none of my relationships were bad. I just wasn't good enough. Or something.

That's what I was thinking.

When I get to thinking like this, I have to do some serious positive verbal combat, even if I don't believe it that second. So I took some deep breaths, recited a few things, remembered who I was, and posted this on Facebook:

Sometimes I look back, and think "Why wasnt I enough? What did I do wrong?" but then i gotta shake it off and remember that He is enough for me....

Now, I know that He is enough for me. But at that moment, I didn't totally believe it. (Isn't it crazy how we just deny deny deny the truth sometimes?)

But then my wonderful, beautiful, fantastic friend Machang commented:

goood. And I can answer that question EASY. You weren't enough cause you were TOO MUCH for someone like that to handle. God's gonna send someone that can. Of course it's not as Good as the Real Deal..but God says.."It'll do." lol =]

That's when I realized, I already had the best Man ever and now the roles were reversed. I was the one not loving enough, as Christ loved me unconditionally, without ceasing, forever still. He loves hard. He does whatever He can to work it out. He forgives always. He puts more effort into our relationship than I do.

I stated bawling...just ugly. How can I sit here feeling so sorry for myself, wanting someone to take me in their arms and say that I am all they ever wanted, straight up ignoring Him holding out His arms to me? John 15:16 "You didn’t choose me. I chose you."

God knows I'm a lot right now, and He knows that the only One who can handle this right now is Him because I'm just TOO MUCH. And as soon as He finds somebody who reflects Him enough to handle and take care of this, He will hand me over. Because I deserve the Real Thing, and I got it. But the reflection of the Real Thing is just icing on the cake!

~Dove Sister DeAnna~

Unhealed Wounds

I recieve these daily devotions thru CFAITH Online (to signup, visit: http://www.cfaith.com/index.php?option=com_alpharegistration&task=register&lang=en). They are always helpful and pertinent, and I just wanted to share this one with you:


Unhealed Wounds
By Ron Luce

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).


It's too bad we can't live in the Garden of Eden where everything was perfect - perfect weather, perfect food, perfect animals, and perfect people. No, we live in the real world. Along with the real world, we have real hurts and real pains that leave real wounds. If we don't deal with those wounds, they will fester on the inside of us and cause us to lose the edge.


There is so much hurt among young people today. Physical, spiritual, and emotional abuses happen to too many young children. Children are being beaten by their parents, sexually abused by family members, and verbally ripped apart. Too many suffer the horrible effects of divorce. It's a wonder any of them grow up to be halfway normal.


But they all learn to cope - one way or another - with their wounds. A rising number of teenagers suffer from eating disorders. We are seeing more and more violence in the nation's schools. Some run away from home, thinking anything would be better than what they are having to deal with at home.


Then there are others who bury everything inside until they are adults and then spend the rest of their lives in a psychiatrist's office. Sadly, many of the wounded people in the world today are Christians. The worst thing is not that they have suffered pain, but that they have never been able to let Jesus heal their wounds.

You may be suffering from a wound yourself. It may not necessarily have come from a parent or a family member. Your pain might have come as a result of a boyfriend or girlfriend breakup. It might have come from a best friend who betrayed you or gossiped about you. But it doesn't matter where the wound came from. What matters is that you have the Answer.


You may be thinking, Well, that can't possibly be me. Sure, I have been hurt in the past, but I'm okay now.
Are you really?
If you see the person who hurt you, does your heart rate go up?
Do you suddenly relive the pain, and do you want to see that person hurt?
Are there times your heart still aches?

If you said yes to any of these questions, you haven't allowed Jesus to clean out that wound and heal it.
Unresolved past hurts can render you virtually ineffective for the kingdom of God, stunting your spiritual growth. But we have the only Answer - Jesus Christ.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18, KJV).


What hurts do you need to release to God? Write them down as an act of letting them go and turning them over to Jesus, your Healer. Then when you are reminded of them, tell the devil that you have been set free.


Ask the Lord to begin healing your broken heart and your wounded emotions. Pray a prayer of forgiveness for not letting go of that hurt and the memories that are trying to devour your future. Forgive those who have hurt you.

Once you let go of these hurts, never accept them again! The devil will try to convince you that you are not really healed, and he may even have someone come along and try to do the same thing to hurt you, but don't accept it! The only thing you will be accepting from now on is the healing power of Jesus!


Source: Spiritual Shock Treatment by Ron Luce.Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing



~Dove Sister Adeola~

Gospel Music

Gospel music is great, but sometimes I get tired of the same songs playing over and over again on my iPod. Every now and then I have to venture out and find another way to experience God musically. Here are some unconventional artists that you may not hear in church Sunday morning:

Leah Smith – hailing from North Philadelphia emerges a soulful songstress with fresh spin on Christian music. At just 20 years old, she has just released her EP entitled “Beautifully Made.” Blending sounds of folk, pop, soul and gospel, Smith’s music is sure to transcend age, time, race and genres. With upbeat hits like “Monster” and lovely ballads such as “Beautifully Made” we can only expect great things from Smith in the future.
Sounds like: Janelle Monae, Lisa McClendon


Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged 2.0 Album – Though not new to the game, this album has become one of my recent favorites. With acoustic melodies and thought provoking lyrics, you can’t listen to this album and remain the same. Whether it’s a socially charging song like “Mystery of Iniquity” or a love song to the Father like “Peace of Mind,” you are sure to not only enjoy good tunes, but a new way to look at the world as well. Listening to this album will only reaffirm that Hill needs to get back in the game.

~Dove Sister Ariel~