Making It Plain

Announcements are usually made when something good is about to happen. When someone says, "I have an announcement to make", we look towards that person in expectation. When the announcement is, I have good and bad news, I ask for the bad news first so that the good can over shadow the bad and not make it seem so. Announcing that there is a new baby about to enter into this world is supposed to be a good thing ( Psalm 127:3 AMP ). Who would cringe at hearing this wonderful news, this blessing from God, the bundle of joy developing even as you read this? The answer to this question is obvious to those that have been through it. But not so much to the young girl that wondered why she was feeling ill all day long and has had stomach cramps for weeks waiting for the doctor to speak in front of her parents. Its not too obvious for the young man that was having a little fun one evening after a party. Its definitely not the thing a single Christian is wishing to hear or say to ...

Have you ever said a word so much that it lost all meaning? Have you ever thought you knew what a word meant until you saw someone else do it better then you ever could? While the first question might seem childish, try it. Say the word, devotion about 20 times. It should start to sound funny. Now think of any circumstance where this word describes your action or reaction. I liked to think that I was devoted to the ministry I attended for so many years. I volunteered in various areas of the ministry. I taught classes. I attended classes and I was beginning to look forward to being a part of the staff. Even when other ministers were leaving the parish for whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with me. I enjoyed the place I was in. I kept myself away from those that liked to gossip and focused on whatever task I was assigned to. My purpose was doing the will of God, not man. Then, without me knowing it, some of the stink that caused certain ministers to leave was coming for me. M...

The title of this blog is something I usually say when I have gotten fed up with some of the things we do as Christians. I know I am striving to be more like Him just like we all strive to do and I know we are at all different levels of maturity...still, don't you see some things can cause you to say to yourself, what were you thinking? Or how stupid are you? Or even still use some other colorful phrase that could possibly question if you are a Christian ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23 AMP )? Honestly, I have. But what else can you do when you see people do the silliest things and then ask God why... why... WHY?!!! Its not His fault. He told you to let Him be at the helm of your life ( Proverbs 3:6 AMP ). He told you to put on praise ( Isaiah 61:3 AMP ), the whole armor of God ( Ephesians 6:11 AMP ), and His love ( 1 Thessalonians 5:8 AMP ). He told you not to do evil for evil but to pray for those that do wrong to you and bless those that spitefully use you ( Matthew 5:44 KJV ). H...

While having lunch with a fellow believer and discussing relationships, I was asked if I had read the book about the love languages. I answered that I had not. She then proceeded to tell me vaguely about the material and how much she enjoyed the book. Oddly, I didn't hear one thing she was telling me that remotely mimicked what we know as the truth. I continued to listen to her as she explained what she thought the author was referring to in relationships and dating. It sounded very complicated and something that one would have to really study to make it a part of their life. But that would then mean to relinquish what one knows in Christ...wouldn't it? Going by the explanation given, I wondered. Though I understand that there are 4 different kinds of love in Christ (agape, phileo, eros, and storge) and each has its place in the various relationships we have with people; however, if we have not developed the one we have for God through Christ (agape), then we are wasting our...

...... to do a man's job! Now, I am not going to pretend to know what a man's job is. I do know what a woman would like to see in her man. Is it what you think or expect? Do you think you can do what is expected? Is it too much for you or any man as far as you are concerned? Just keep reading and compare what you would do with the scripture references. There are too many grown adult men that don't do what is expected of them and have plenty of excuses for their behavior. A woman will only tolerate so much then the reverence that she is supposed to have for her husband becomes a challenge. What do you do then? Do you start blaming her for the short comings in the marriage or do you start making some re-evaluations of your own life and what you have put your family through ( Haggai 1:7 AMP)? I wrote an entry in this blog entitled, The Position of a Woman . In it I describe how everyone seems to have an opinion of what a woman is supposed to do and if we liste...

Do we as Christians know what that role is? The role of a woman. Has the clear definition been blurred by taking on so many other positions that her identity has no distinct path anymore? To hear certain pastors preach this role, you would think we never got it right - ever! From not wearing the right thing to keep our man to wearing the thing that attracts every other man. From being too strict with raising the children to not allowing for your children to be your friend. From having a career to assist with the income to being blamed for not being home more often. When does it end? When is it alright just to be the woman God created us to be? And then when we are happy with the skin we are in, we start dating and out of nowhere he says, he wants 12 children and that wasn't in your plans. Or he likes big butts and yours don't have enough junk. Or he likes for your hair to be natural and you have a perm. Or he would rather live in some third world country and you like the peac...

What would make a person hire a private investigator or have a criminal background check on the one he/she is dating? Does it make sense, even in these days and times? What would this background check prove? What would the photographs that the private investigator obtained prove? What if nothing was found? Is the person now trustworthy? Will he/she ever cheat? Will the dating process for the purposes of marriage continue? Will you be less insecure ( 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV )? Because of the way people are, our past experiences, and/or the lessons from those who have had worse experiences, we have become jaded with the care free wonderfulness a relationship can bring. Two people in agreement with ethics, values, morals, a Christian lifestyle Monday through Sunday (24/7), how to raise children, where to live, who will be at home and who will be making the income, house work, yard work, the budget, vacations, etc. Why wouldn't it be wonderful? It was destined by God - right? I have t...