Mini Bites 25.0

I woke up with the thought, "I don't want to talk anymore."
And before anyone throws a party, I will continue talking (let's get that straight) but I don't want to talk about my dreams anymore.
I don't want to open my mouth and say the same words over and over again and realize that nothing's changed, I'm still saying the same thing that I shared last week, last month, or God forbid, last year!
And this morning, I thought, "I don't want to talk anymore."
I really don't and my subconscious had this revelation way before my lips spoke it because every time someone asks what's up with me, what's new with me, what's going on with me, my reflex is "nothing," because I don't want to see or hear the pity in their voices when they realize that I'm still the same as before, that I haven't changed. If I don't share my expectations, my goals then no one can keep a tally of my failings.
So I woke up with the thought, "I don't want to talk anymore."
But then I thought about it, mulled it over because, trust me, I wake up on the wrong side of the bed always, and I realized that's what the devil wants, that's what the world wants, that's what my flesh wants.
I am a daughter of the King of kings, the Lord of lords. I follow in His footsteps and I inherit His gifts. The power of life and death are on my lips and whatever I speak out according to His will has to come about.
Of course, the devil wants me to shut up.
Because if I shut up, then that allows others to speak into my life.
If I stop talking, then my life will start reflecting the words said to me.
If I don't surround myself with my voice, with my aspirations, with my hopes, then I'm susceptible to other people's plans.
It's so much easier to fit into a cookie cutter or a cardboard cutout when you're not filled with your own desires, your own fire, your own dreams. It's easy to be a statistic when you don't have your own vision. It's easy to be a copy when you don't recognize and invest in your own uniqueness.
Don't stop talking. Don't allow your atmosphere to be void of your words because if you don't speak, someone else will.
Continue speaking out no matter how much time has passed.
Through the challenges and circumstances, you keep praying for that breakthrough .
Do not give up. Do not shut up; your blessing, your change is coming.
Keep talking.

Mini Bites 24.0

I do not play sports of any kind. Although my laziness does contribute to my incompetence, my fear of getting hit by the balls (i.e. basketball, baseball, soccer ball, tennis ball, racquet ball and dodgeball) keeps me staying in the sidelines. And not in the floor seats either; I would be in the nosebleed section where I was certain that no wayward ball had any access to my pretty face.

But life is funny, isn't it? 

Because I usually find myself in the front row, with no protection, watching the game.

Correction: watching the ball.

My eyes follow the ball and my limbs are in the stage of flight in case the ball decides to plummet in my direction. 

I tend to forget that the ball doesn't have a mind of its own and it isn't plotting to smack me across the cheek at full speed.

No, not at all... unless...

No! The ball is an instrument in the hands of the ball player and most of the times, if not 99.9% of the time, the ball player is competent enough to make sure that the ball doesn't go out of bounds and bludgeon someone to death.

I should have confidence in the players to keep the ball within bounds but I don't.

I watch the ball and I can't enjoy the game.

And sadly, the same can be said of my life.

I harp on the bad and miss out on the good.

I miss out on God's goodness because I'm looking at the circumstances.

 Matthew 8:23-27 and Matthew 14:22-33 reveal the disciples losing their faith when they're caught in terrifying storms and Jesus shows us the correct responses when life throws us curve balls.

He rested in the boat and He walked on water.

He didn't freak out with His disciples.

He didn't abandon ship.

He wasn't frantically looking for plan B when plan A looked like a failure.

Jesus rested and Jesus walked, both actions opposite of what we would do when caught in a storm.

And you know why He was able to do that?

Because He knew that God was in the midst of the storms.

We have to remind ourselves that storms, horrible circumstances, bad breaks and bad habits will never separate you from God.

Storms can surround you, overwhelm you and try to drown you but God has His hand on you the entire time and will never let you go.

Trouble can come but Jesus is with you.

Temptation can be overpowering but Jesus is reaching out for you to set you free.

Don't look at the chaos in the background when peace and rest can be found in the foreground, in Jesus.

Shift your perspective; it's better that way.