|
8/29/2012 0 Comments "Look Back" (This post was originally written in June 8, 2012 on our Facebook page.) I haven't posted in a while as I have been on a spiritual respite of sorts. I needed to step away for a moment to work on "Yolanda". The past few months have been eventful for me I could barely keep up and after a series of events I have found that it is necessary to take some time to pay attention to some spiritual and personal areas of my life. I have learned that if I am to be any good to anyone I have to first take care of and deal with me. While on this respite I have been digging deep to come to a resolution about some issues that have had me in quite a quandary. Not so much a particular situation that had me puzzled as to what to do but a series of events that I have had the pleasure of experiencing the past few months that had me questioning my abilities, my actions, God, my purpose in life and how and if I should move forward. Taking these moments are not unusual for me. I tend to get in this space where I shut down, shut up and get quiet when I feel as though my life is getting complicated, out of sorts and filled with confusion. And when I get in this space I tend to do a “LOOK BACK”. When I was Revenue Agent for the State I learned a piece of terminology called a “look back period". A look back period is where an organization or company looks back over previous periods to come to a determination or an outcome for a particular situation. So that's what I have done for the past few weeks. Now when I do these "look back periods" I tend to “look back” over MY life to examine me, the choices I have made, the outcome of said choices, what I have experienced, the lessons learned, how God moved, how he brought me through and how am I to move forward with this new knowledge. I believe that everything we go through is for a reason, some reasons we may not know but some reason we may know. It may be to either improve certain areas of our lives, to prevent repeating detrimental and destructive behavior/ situations or to help someone else. If you haven't figured it out. I am on a constant quest to improve and better myself and my life. I am always thinking and analyzing. Sometimes it works against me…but a lot of times it works for my good. I always ask myself during times lilke this in my life, how did I get in this particular circumstance, what am I suppose to learn, where did I go right or wrong and how can I never experience this foolishness again. And today while thinking and talking with my main confidant..."God". I was led to go to a site that I had blogged for last year...."Glamazini". Ini is the owner of this blog and she blogs about being natural and other subject matter. It is a very informative and enlightening blog. I met Ini through an online community board. I periodically kept an online journal on this board and I would share about my life experiences. One day she read in one of my journals about my natural hair journey and she requested that I share my story on her blog. Well, today while perusing her blog a link for the guest blog that I did for her was at the bottom with my picture and story. I do not believe that this was a coincidence as I have been to her blog many times in the past few weeks and haven’t seen this link. But today…..it was there. I clicked on the link and began to read what I shared with the world. It brought tears to my eyes, reading back over my "testimony". It brought back so many feelings...the feelings of fear, grief, despair, loneliness and anger. Feelings that I thought I would never shed. And then when I read the comments, I was really moved. Not because they were praising me, but because they were praising the God that brought me through! And as I "look back" I remember how I felt when God brought me through those things...the feeling of freedom, victory, joy and release. Remember that old song..… ”LOOK WHERE HE BROUGHT ME FROM…HE BROUGHT ME OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO THE MARVELOUS LIGHT…LOOK WHERE HE BROUGHT ME FROM. Well…that was my theme song for today. The title of my blog was…”Then Job arose tore his robe and shaved his head….” I shared how my life paralleled Job and how my “process” to becoming natural was the catalyst in setting me free from darkness and into the marvelous light. I was reminded that Job trusted God and went through the process despite what he went through and because of his faith he ultimately received double for his trouble. Isn’t God something…he always knows what to give you at the exact moment you need it. I was reminded to “look where he ALREADY brought me from”! Now let me be clear, these “look back periods” is not the time to wallow in self-pity and mourn about what was lost; I look back to place things in perspective so that I may reach a positive outcome. These “look back periods” are to provide a better understanding as to how I was accountable, to appreciate and respect the process, how with God’s divine providence I can move forward and to also remind me that victory is possible again if I do not give up and remain focus. So my conclusion from this particular look back period is that the present does not represent the future. That what I am experiencing is a process that I must go through and that I am to take the lessons learned… apply….readjust… move forward. I will admit that I was surely feeling weary, torn, battered and bruised but as I “look back” I now have gained a new determination, new boldness, new focus and new vision. I just have to take the brakes off and allow myself to go through the process as Job did, and if I do this it will be another "testament" to the power and greatness of the one true and living God. And his greatness will be told because he knows that I will tell it so that others may be set free! The lessons that I am learning in this present experience are surely for his good as I will be able to build upon them and use it for God's glory. But to obtain the greatness and the destiny purposed for me…I must go through the process so I can again say….”LOOK WHERE HE BROUGHT ME FROM”! Click Link Below to View Blog on Glamazini!
0 Comments
8/28/2012 0 Comments Watch and Pray…. I made a recent decision to address some personal and spiritual areas in my life. These areas have caused some major pain and tears. My flesh wanted me to walk away because I didn’t want the heartache and headache anymore. And I could have easily walked away from the people and the circumstances involved with these areas. But I couldn’t! I felt that if I walked away and ignored it that the pain and hurt would fester and would cause more issues and I was fully aware that if I turned my back that this would cause me my life. So I made the decision a few months back after much prayer and self-examination that it was time to address these areas. Well, once I prayed, developed a plan and initiated the plan that’s when the attacks began.
I wasn’t surprised that this happened as you see the areas that I am addressing have massive strongholds surrounding them and when victory is obtained, generational strongholds and curses will be broken. And what confirmed that I was in line with God’s divine plan was my family was visiting and before they left to go home we prayed in ‘The Sanctuary’. We prayed intently about the different situations and the people involved. It was a dynamic prayer session. As we were leaving to got of out of my home to walk my family to the truck we came across a large black snake and it was aggressive. We enlisted the help of the entire neighborhood to try and capture this snake. But the snake moved so fast around the perimeter of my home, that it was able to escape under our air conditioner unit. The entire situation had me on edge as we had never seen snakes around our home. I was fearful to go outside my home more yet into my garden. I was peeking around corners and looking behind bushes. I forced my husband to go to Home Depot that day to find something to get rid of this snake. I was frightened. But after a few days of tip toeing in and out the house and having all of these fearful thoughts, I had to stop and ask myself, “What are you doing Yolanda? What are you afraid of? “That’s when I had the revelation. This snake came to manifest fear in me and my home, my place of peace, my refuge. And I saw it as a sign to do as the scripture says, to be always on the watch and pray because the adversary is seeking whom he may devour”. Luke 21:36 says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. Simply put, we are required to be in a state of ‘watching and praying’. When you examine the definition of watch it is “to look at or observe attentively, typically over a period of time”. When the New Testament commands us to "watch," it is telling us to "stay awake" and to be vigilant and on guard, fully awake, aware, alert and intently focused at all times. And when Jesus commanded us to “pray”, he was stating to us that we should spend time talking with our Creator so that he can give us insight, provide us the plan of escape from the enemy, give us strength and power. But you see in our society today we are not in this constant state of watch and pray. We waste enormous amounts of time on being entertained with the mindless, trivial, mundane and materialistic. I must stress that we do not have time to waste if we are seeking to break the chains and strongholds in our lives. We must be as the word says; sober and vigilant. And that means properly using our mind to study, learn, observe, analyze, judge and think. Our mindset should be clear and determined if we expect the yokes and chains of bondage and destruction to be destroyed in our life, in our children’s lives, in our family lives, in our churches, in our schools, in our communities and in our world. We are required in this life as wise sons and daughters to understand the times and seasons in we which we live, that we have to be watching and praying accordingly that we might not misunderstand what He is doing but remain focused on His will. If we do not watch and pray it can result in us missing much of what God has to say to us and do with us. You see watchfulness and prayerfulness is the price of constant victory and I know that I want constant victory not in just some areas but in every area of my life. I am willing to pay the price….are you? 8/25/2012 0 Comments “The Faith of A Hummingbird." Hummingbird in my garden feasting! In my recent respite time this summer I went into my “secret place” and I have been enjoying one of my favorite pastimes and that is gardening. I think it is important to have something that you can do alone that will allow you to unwind and to be at peace and gardening is that for me. I love to garden, it relaxes me and it is also good exercise. But most importantly I know that it feeds the nurturer in me. I take delight in planting a seed, watering it and then watching it grow and bloom. And I am thankful that I am able to see the fruits of my labor as I work from home and my office is directly in front of my garden. I have planted flowers in front of my office window that attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and dragonflies. My flowers reappear each year with splendor and glory. And watching the butterflies bounce from plant to plant is an absolute joy for me while I work. Well, it seems that each year I also have another individual that enjoys the harvest as well, a hummingbird. You see around blooming season each year the hummingbird swoops in inspects hovers and then eventually partakes of my flowers. It has been fascinating to watch the hummingbird fly in each day, swoop down and hover over the flower until the blooms are ripe enough for him to peck and partake of the succulent juice. And what is even more fascinating is that there is a particular hibiscus tree in my garden that he absolutely enjoys. I have two hibiscus trees however; there is only one particular tree that he will feed from. The other tree has full blooms but he pays it no mind as it is apparent that he is waiting for that one particular tree to bloom. But what has has been unfortunate is that the hibiscus tree that hummingbird is attracted to has not bloomed. I have fought to keep this tree alive as it has had a tree fungus since this past spring. And I have fought the fungus with every product and home remedy I could find trying to keep the tree from succumbing to the disease. And as I am fighting the battle, the hummingbird comes each day without fail and partake of the flowers he loves and then he swoops over to that hibiscus tree and looks at it with expectation waiting for the harvest and he flies away. It’s like he knows that one day he will find a harvest. Well now I have finally won the war and killed the fungus and I see flower buds. I am so excited and so is the hummingbird. The buds are at the point of almost blooming and flowering and the hummingbird now has a real sense of expectation. He flies in more often, swooping in fast and hovering over that tree, waiting for the buds to bloom so that he can enjoy the harvest. And I sit here and watch him each day I can see his expectation. Watching him each day I began to relate to the “expectation” of that hummingbird. As I have that same sense of expectation in my own life. I am sure you too can relate. You have been toiling, waiting, praying and watching, asking God for a harvest in a particular area of your life, or for particular people, situations or issues, and you are wondering when you will see the harvest. And sometimes you began to feel that he does not hear your hunger pains or see that you are thirsty in this barren land. I think there is a lesson here. This hummingbird knows just where to go each year to receive his blessing and he shows up with a sense of expectation. He knows that he will find the sustenance he desires and needs in its due season. What I have seen from this hummingbird Jesus discussed in Matthew 6:25-32,
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” You see the hummingbird is not worried about how and what it will eat as provision was made prior to growing season. Remember, I purposely planted seeds specifically to attract and feed him. And although the tree he loves did not look promising, it did not stop him, he continued to enjoy the “current” harvest and because I won that battle with the fungus in a few days that “diseased tree” he loves will be blooming and he will be able to enjoy the “latter harvest”. Can you imagine how excited that hummingbird will feel when he sees that bright red bloom? Sheer joy! So I ask if God can provide for a creature as simple and small as the hummingbird of the sky, what will he do for his most highest and prized creation? What I learned from observing this hummingbird is that we first must be faithful, be thankful and be diligent in the harvest he has already blessed us with and secondly, we should never give up on the harvest we have yet to reap. It may seem at times as though those seeds that we have planted may be dying or barren and will never produce a harvest such as my hibiscus tree. But we cannot lose faith and grow weary. We have be confidant in the word that God will give us everything we need. After all he is the almighty and all-knowing God who is able to deliver, heal and set us free; he possesses the power to restore and heal our “diseased tree”. We just have faith to believe with the same level of determination and patience as that hummingbird, that we can never stop “hovering with expectation” as we will reap our harvest in “God’s Due Season” if we faint not! Psalm 104:27. “[all creatures] look to you to give them their food in due season; you open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature.” |
Enter into
The Sanctuary and get a Daily Dose of God inspired word. You will get a dose of transparent and authentic thoughts from Yolanda Douthit, founder of The Sanctuary. Her thoughts will not be human wisdom, but God inspired wisdom. The Sanctuary is a platform for her to be a living testament to God's power and providence. And to express how God has been the source of her existence, how she has used the word as a foundation of encouragement for survival and to prosper. She is a wife, daughter, sister and auntie who loves God, her husband and her family with all her heart and in that order. She is full of life and she is determined to live it on purpose! Feed your souls with
one of our other inspirational blogs Monday Meditations Intercession Tuesday Worship Wednesday Testament Thursday Connect on Social Media
Archives
April 2014
CategoriesAll Being In Time Conquer Your Enemy Through Worship Detours?? Dosheia Mitchell Dunamis Ephesians Expectation Faith Fasting And Prayer Fear Fruit Get Your Purpose Life God's Will Is For Worship Goodness Happy Non-Mother's Day Have You Been Verified? He Gives Me Courage Hummingbird Kairos Keep It Moving Kindness Leap Of Faith Longsufffering Look Back Patience Prayer For The Will Of God Praying On The Armor Of God Purpose Repurposed Pain Thanksgiving Blessings The Power Of The Moment. Quentin Bethea The Sanctuary Understanding Lent Watch And Pray |
Search by typing & pressing enter
RSS Feed