You say you want a revolution

Thought for today:
A most gracious good morning good people,

I love, love, love this pic!!!

Unlearning is critical in true evolution . Unlearning is critical in true revolution..
Just waxing poetic to remind you that education happens when we challenge the constructs of the arcane and antiquated. Unlearning is the Sims and Farmville of the soul and the psyche.

Ok, I'm getting too abstract for some of y'all...allow me to break it down like it needs to be broken...
Our minds, bodies and spirits hold on to information feeds because we are programmed with the messages it's tradition, it's considered normative, society demands it or someone projected upon us. Holding on to these feeds don't necessarily make them good, true or valid to and for YOU!!!

I like to use the "fruitcake" example. There are some family's that pass the recipe for this jellied, fruit laden, dense log of a cake from generation to generation with the preface "this recipe has been in our family for years" and for most of us, it tastes like it has....the only way to consume this brick is either you or the cake has to be drenched in rum..... I'm saying all this to say that just because it's considered "tradition" doesn't make it right or good!

I get both heartbroken and angry when I encounter people holding on to and trying to live a truth that is NOT theirs!!! Doing so creates a dichotomy that strangles a spirit.

John 10:10 (NIV)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Who or what is your thief? How are you living in abundance when you're not whole?
Here are two quotes that I hope you'll give ear and heart to today:
"Here’s to all the freaks, the weirdos, the malcontents and contrarians, the warriors for justice, the seekers of hard truths, the beatniks with bass beats. Here’s to the artists who question everything and in turn force us to question our world and ourselves." ~ Brandon Wardell

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. ~ Steve Jobs

We're not cookies, so why are you trying to live a cookie cutter life? BE YOU!!!! ~ KB

The practice of people pleasing

  
  


Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens,
I start this Monday off deep in thought....

I saw the pic about the greener grass and began to think about how many of us act in cursory and scripted behavior patterns that are rooted in trauma rather than altruism. I then thought about how these patterns of behavior NEVER lead to joy and happiness and how they rob us of the beauty and the purity of/in love.

Our scripted behaviors make us caricatures and automatons living out the plans of others. Our scripted behaviors convince us that we're real when we're actually acting out a fear response that continue to batter our souls and steals our authenticity. Our scripted behaviors redirect our focus from our healing by creating diversionary "emergencies" that are actually visits to "trauma fires"

Begin your healing process by looking to who God says you are rather than what people say and manipulate you into believing. Begin your healing by taking a journey into your soul...with the belief that you are wonderfully made Psalm 139:14. Begin your healing knowing that God made you in love and that you are unique and that your uniqueness has a place in this world.

Truth is that you don't have to hide or be ashamed of anything that makes you, YOU!!!! 
KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED!!!! ~KB

Healing

  

  

Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens,
Have you ever been elevated to a position of leadership? Whether it be a small group leader or a position at work I can pretty much guarantee you that the quote "heavy is the head that wears the crown" immediately becomes real.

Check this out, what becomes a blessing for you is also a blessing for others to voice their truths about how they see you.... I don't want to make you paranoid and hypervigilant in looking for the ah ha's and gotcha's because this school of thought leads to and fosters resentments.
Hearing negativity and complaints, especially about yourself, makes it easy to assume the seat of judge and juror in return. Your peace, joy and happiness comes from your ability to not personalize what you're hearing. You must learn to deflect and redirect the issues; redirect it to the owner if you can, if not release it to the universe......

On the real folks, not everything you hear is an untruth; some things you DO need to hear and work on!
BE WILLING TO OPEN YOUR EARS IN ORDER TO CHANGE YOUR HEART and in doing so you may change the hearts of others.
Healing is reciprocal, in that your knowledge of self helps others and in helping others you gain more knowledge ~ KB

life is a soundtrack...how about these lyrics:
Do You Know
Where you're going to?
Do you like the things?
That life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know?
Do you get?
What you're hoping for?
When you look behind you
There's no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know?
Once we were standing still, in time
Chasing the fantasies and feeling all nice
You knew how I loved you, but my-spirit was free
Laughing at the questions
That you once asked of me
Now looking back at all we've had
We let so many dreams just slip through our hands
Why must we wait so long, before we see?
How sad the answers to those questions can be

Theme from Mahogany - Diana Ross

The "NEW" Normal

Thought for today:
Good morning fam,
I have been deep in thought these days....I am in the habit of NOT shooting from the lip, so it takes a minute to put my ruminations together before I share them with you... I will be sharing messages throughout the days to come as we go through and grow through this pandemic...
I don't know about y'all but I am sick and tired of hearing the phrase "the new normal." The phrase asks me to see my life as the "status quo", the old and boring, the staid and stagnant. I don't know about you but I am anything but...
I'm talking about this because we have embraced the word "normal" when the ONLY thing that is a constant in life is change.
Think about this, what we accept as "normal" IS stagnation!!!
Life is ever evolving, why aren't you?
Are you embraced as genuine and authentic, because you are or are you tolerated and dismissed with "that's just the way he/she is"?
Family, the "normal" we crave is relative. The "normal" we embrace" is rooted in comparison. Comparison is not of God! You are a unique work, called and appointed to a unique position. Have you asked yourselves about the prison bars of your "normal"
Sisters, does your normal mean sacrificing yourself esteem and self worth, living beneath your privilege to elevate someone who has no intentions of leveling up to their calling? Does your normal mean embracing getting thumped on like you signed on with Don King and humped up like a Barbary Coast "comfort wench"? Brothers , does your normal embrace a caricature of masculinity that is a toxic, macho cesspool with an undertow for all who come near? These examples may sound sexist and stereotypical but these are the embraced norms that imprison our souls and psyches.
Family does our normal incorporate projecting rather than embracing; blaming others because WE have failed to embrace our truths and we continue to live a life of comparison, measuring our success by reaching the expectations of others?
Family, allow me to be grammatically unsound for a moment to share this with you...
you ain't gots to believe what I believe...my wish for you is to live and feel the hope in these passages from the Bible

Divorce your knowledge of "normal" and live in the freedom of your truth ~ KB

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

RUSH BACK FOR WHAT?!!!

 

Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens,

This pic struck me because everyone is up in arms about "returning" to work.... their norm, their productivity.

This pic is a cause for pause. What are you rushing back to? What is your baseline for normal?
Truth is many of us are waxing nostalgic about a return to our demise... we're rushing back to dysfunction. Self-destructive patterns of behavior and communication, low self esteem, wanton and reckless sharing of our bodies and psyches. Have you ever stopped to think about your standards? Does who you say you are fall in line with who God says you are? Is this even your standard of measure or you just happy to "go along to get along?" Who do you surround yourselves with - do gooders and go getters or a peanut galley that cosigns your contracts of depravity?

We are definitely in the Matrix the question is do you take the blue pill or the red pill....watch the movie if you don't get my point of reference....and when you watch it, keep a spiritual perspective.
I've referred to this Covid pandemic as our modern day plague....but what I should be saying is that it should plague your mind with questions about your legacy; begging the question: how do you want to be remembered. Let this shelter in place be a time on contrition, concentration and change. Let this down time be reflection, reaction and responsibility.... To quote John Lennon IMAGINE!!! One love y'all ~KB

Grateful for joyful spirits

Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens
I was without my "visual verbal umbilical cord " the internet, for the better part of yesterday so I was feeling it big time.
You know I'm going to take today to reflect on gratitude....
Who would have ever thought that we'd be living in a time where a surgical face mask would become part of our fashions and daily garb? Who would have thought that our daily news and journalism would have become tabloid reports, biased opinions and nihilistic noise with attrition rates ?
It's easy to give up, lose hope, get distracted and get drawn into the whirlpool that drains into a cesspool (yes, I said it)
I chose not to dwell on the negative and in the negative. I serve a God that is not defeated and does not allow for defeat...
Brothers and sisters it's easy to swing a hammer to tear down but can you build up? Can you encourage in spite of what you're going through? Can you see God's comma (,) where you placed the finality of a period (.) Can you strain your hearts and ears to feel the "but God, praise?
Allow me to share some optimism from someone who by all intents and purposes had every reason to give in to depression and despair; this time I'm going to give you a human being... let these quotes resonate with you today when you feel the spirit of complaint well up in you:

“It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.”

These words were written by a 14 year old girl who lived in a very ugly time....Anne Frank

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

I dare to say ....and they will show you God as well. Let your hearts be pure and without complaint and constraint ~ KB

Hope not H8

   

Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens,
I have a different kind of message for you today...

I have a lot to say today….so, get your coffee, get your readers and pull up a seat….

Yesterday I noticed a recurring theme in some of screening….while some of it was humorous and well written and entertaining it also led me to think of real time circumstances for the people who didn’t get the opportunity to see their blessings on the other side of their struggle.

To fully grasp what I’m writing about you must first understand the definition of the word dichotomy

di·chot·o·my /dīˈkädəmē/ (noun)
noun: dichotomy; plural noun: dichotomies
a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

“A dichotomy is a partition of a whole into two parts. In other words, this couple of parts must be jointly exhaustive: everything must belong to one part or the other, and mutually exclusive: nothing can belong simultaneously to both parts – Wikipedia”

OK, now that I have the definition out of the way I want to talk about LBGTQ issues. I use the word “issues” because I want to address how parents and the presumed heteronormative mindset forces people to live in a state of denial or assume a dichotomous lifestyle to conform to the “norm.” People are forced into soul stealing positions and situations by FEAR and IGNORANCE; (fear of ostracism, fear of physical assault, religious bigotry, fear of legal manipulations)
It’s very disheartening to see someone relegated to a mental and emotional prison for the comfort of others.

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/…/pre…/facts-about-suicide/

https://www.nbcnews.com/…/suicide-rates-fall-among-gay-yout…

The hetero-normative mindset excuses their abnormal aggression and violence toward the LBGT community and their creation on unintentional LBGTQ martyrs (Matthew Shepard and Branden Teena). How is it that gay is considered abnormal and abhorrent but the violence and insecurities of the hetero perpetrator is acceptable?

These LBGTQ battered souls seek solace and love from the church, believing it at its word and message of love only to receive a verbal beating from its pulpits

What’s my point? – How many of our conversations offer 

hope? How many of us create a safe inviting space for someone to “be”? How many of us Know the “true” love of God? (keeping in mind that coming into the knowledge is a progressive and ever evolving process) I am often amazed about the folks who claim to know ….but find it easy to deny the love to others

I want to share this message with anyone who is struggling to concretize their identity:
“You are not under any obligation to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm. Light that remaining match in your soul, ignite the fire on the dusty cobwebs of your heart” (paraphrased Penny Reid)

Please know that the Bible that was and is used as a weapon against you also says:
Ephesians 2:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Psalm 139:13-14 English Standard Version (ESV)
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Jeremiah 1:5 English Standard Version (ESV)
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

And for you folks who loooooove to proselytize with a veiled message of hatred and condemnation ….you know who you are …all you good “love the sinner hate the sin” folks. The Bible also says:

1 Corinthians 13 English Standard Version (ESV)
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

You are enough! You are complete! You are loved ~ KB

Love Is

 

Thought for today:
A gracious good morning to you beautiful people

I'm up and about at my usual o'dark thirty spending my early morning quiet reading and letting it wash over me and I see my week in the rear view mirror through the words. During this past week I have had the opportunity to be witness to a great many things. Being who I am...I look to see the passion and purpose in it all.
Tough times reveal people's TRUE character, hence my choice of pics and message for today...what they all boil down to is my message....how we see and value ourselves is in direct correlation but not proportion into how we treat others.
There's a faction of people who are chronic complainers but refuse to problem solve. These are the fault finders who can zero in on vulnerabilities; primarily because these fault mirror their own.
These people are walking wounded. While it is not our job or within our power to heal them, it IS our job to love them and to shine our love light on the wounded and fragile places and to handle them with the greatest of care. This does not mean we baby, nurture, coddle or indulge, this would enable the self serving and entitlement portions of a wound, nor should we punish a person for sharing their hurts...on some levels their actions are a way of saying "I trust you enough to be vulnerable" and a means of asking for help.
There's a line from the movie Love Story "Love means never having to say you're sorry" can I say that the line used to irk my soul until I realized that I was thinking about it with my ego.....
Don't get me wrong, loving someone doesn't mean you accept or tolerate abuse on any level....loving means you look past self and embrace God. Loving is a reciprocal healing.

BE YOURSELVES FREE YOURSELVES WITH AND IN LOVE~KB

1 Corinthians 13 New International Version (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Refuse Release Day

Good Morning beloved,
I thought I'd keep it a little light. You must understand that I am not apologizing or diminishing previous posts; I am a person of faith and I am a living witness and testimony to what God can do and I get so excited about telling others that walking in faith is faaaaaaaar better than living in fear <---real talk!!!
I just want to remind you of this simple fact. Every weekday, all across this country, we have a designated "garbage day" or trash collect day, where we dispose of things. I'm a writer so I love the power in alliteration so I'll say, refuse release day. This being said....on these designated days,I have yet to see anyone running behind the truck yelling and screaming for their "sh---tuff" So ask yourselves why is your mental and emotional garbage worth holding on to? What is your payoff and purpose for embracing it? Is it that you've been living with the weight and burden for so long that you fear you'll lose you identity and purpose if you release it?

Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen a kids after they've watched the movie Frozen? Have you felt their joy and energy after seeing it? What song are they usually singing after watching it? Let It Go! Check out the lyrics:

Let It Go - Idina Menzel

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
Let it go (go, go, go go, go go, go go, go, go, go go)
Let it go
Let it go
Let it go
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free
Let it go, let it go

Kids get the simplicity of the song.....let us embrace the simplicity of the message and take action ~KB

The Haves and Have Nots

Thought for today:
Good morning good people,
I hope this day finds you blessed and in good health! I pray that you indulge me by reading this message to its end and allow yourself to consider this thought...

I can't tell you how many times in my life that I've heard the quote "tell the truth and shame the devil!" so here's my truth
I know and I am very real about the fact that I am far from "perfect"...I am very real about the fact that I can be messy and petty....if you know me you know that I will often announce it when I am dipping my toes in the "messy and petty pool" to voice my anger, frustrations and disappointments...
This being said I'm embracing my progress and hoping for my perfection.
I know people who say they love the Lord. Yet, these very same folks rarely talk about the things of God...not that I expect conversations to be like two rabbis arguing apologetics but I do expect to see an outward manifestation of an inward work; ya' feel me? The ability to quote and apply scripture is frowned upon by the frustrated spirit's of these folks because hearing it disturbs the demons that are guiding actions contrary to the message and meaning of the gospel. These folks have learned to "compartmentalize" and relegate their "love" to business hours on Sunday....indulging the feel good aspects of grace and mercy and struggle with and bemoan the harshness and realities of life. (think about how the immature disciples freaked out when the storm at sea rocked their boat)....
I am saying all this because God woke me with this scripture (again if you know me, you know I have no fear or shame in discussing how God speaks to my spirit with either visions or a gnawing,nagging passage of scripture in my heart and on my mind that is confirmed by the Holy Spirit when some other aspect of my daily life is in direct correlation to the scripture).....
The scripture for today is from James 4; the entire chapter is a powerful read but my primary focus is on vs. 1-10....I'm going to juxtapose the King James version of the bible to the New International version
KJV: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

NIV: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

want to end this read to pose the questions:
Do you ask (pray) amiss? meaning do you pray only for things that are beneficia to you?
Can you say Lord, help me to find peace and insight with/into the things that don't go "my way"?
Is your life the personification of "it is well with my soul?

https://youtu.be/Bvq3pYsHidA

The word gospel translates to "good news" are you the gospel?
One love folks ~KB

"low" and behold

  

  

Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens
Many of us have gone "Roscoe Jenkins - the team of me" and have disassociated ourselves from our humanity as well as our humility.
Do the self work and heal your soul...life is rich with blessings but you cannot see them if your vision is obstructed; you cannot feel them if your heart is calloused.
Healing is literally in the low places..when your spirit in bowed from burden and on your knees in prayer ~KB

Crime Watch - There is a thief in the neighborhood

  

I’ve been wanting to put this message in a video but unfortunately, I’ve been working from home several days a week and my ability to make videos has been limited because people are still sleeping and I don’t want my talking to disturb their rest. So, once again you are privy to one of my lengthy notes.

I want to take a second to do what I do…be real, raw and 100…

This shelter in place is a tough one for me…I’m an introvert by nature but let me say I am an introvert on MY terms not because I have to. I also need to say that my spirit is revitalized by being of service to people and social distancing redirects the energy of the exchange. The waning energy flow has been a strong feed for negativity and the spirit of depression.

I say the “spirit” because you don’t see or feel the weight of the “social distancing” until you’re in the throes of negativity or some other extreme behavior patterns.

I have been in battle with depression. I recognize it and I am doing all I can to do battle.

That being said allow me to direct your spirit to: Luke 4: 1-13 where a spirit presented itself to Jesus in an attempt to redirect him to a negative space.

4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
    and him only shall you serve.’”

9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to guard you,’

11 and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

We ARE NOT experiencing anything new to mankind….

1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith." 

Ephesians 6:12  12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

We possess the tools to do battle:  Ephesians 6: 11-17 "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." 

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” 

Keep your heads up….look up and live…. If you’re struggling reach out for help, call a prayer partner, do something to feed your soul!!!

Help in Healing

    

I feel like my message today may be one of the lengthiest and most introspective messages I have written in a long while. Today is a day for restoration and renewal; while we have the opportunity every day I want to speak to spiritual power and purpose that comes by way of the cross.
I want to address the way and the work of the cross in our interpersonal relationships.

Describing connections as polluted and convoluted attachments is the best way to describe the ways many of us form our closest and most intimate bonds. Oftentimes, when we talk about toxic relationships and attachments, these relationships facilitate behaviors like jealousy, secrecy, deception, manipulation and selfishness. Toxic behaviors stem from a poor sense self and erode the integrity of connections as well as destroying the "true and real" relationships that bring our lives joy and honest and pure love. These behaviors are far more common than you might think.

Our bonding behaviors and patterns are formed in our childhood, they are consistently changed and refined throughout life. Our experiences in childhood leaves “residue” throughout our lives; there are other experiences throughout life that influence and reinforce our negative behaviors and we allow these things to keep us locked in these patterns of poor choices and self-destruction.

Whether we want to admit it to ourselves poor self – esteem is one of the main reasons people find themselves in toxic “situationships” that cause mental, emotional, spiritual and sometimes physical pain.

We might suffer from poor self-esteem because of past relationship experiences, or we might suffer from low self-esteem because of traumatic childhood experiences.

All in all, the poison in our lives is a result of our investment in what others have told us about ourselves (rooted in their experiences and expectations) and our wounded spirits embracing the information and feeding our “shoulds”….

END RESULT – we end up “shoulding” all over ourselves!!!
Allow God to speak and to heal you…
Stop vesting in the other people’s scripts for your life and live the “scriptures”

Jeremiah 30:17 New International Version (NIV)
17 But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.

Isaiah 61:7 New International Version (NIV)
7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.

Know that authenticity, being real with yourself about your faults and frailties are genuine beauty…the true you is enough
The true you is a God made gift to and for the world.

No Negativity ( A negative + A negative = A Positive)

  

  

Thought for today
Good morning kings and queens

We are in tough times folks ....I know I'm not the only one that is experiencing the "strangeness" of the Shelter In Place and Social Distancing. I am an introvert to my marrow and I enjoy my "me" time but not the forced "me" time.
I do what I do for a living because the process is reciprocal...I help and in doing so, it feeds my soul and renews my spirit

Hebrews 6:10
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Romans 12:1
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

I'm sharing this to say...it is easy to get distracted and focus on all of the hard times ,negativity and uncertainty in the age of COVID. Yes, this down time is going to require a major refractory period for people and our economy.... but, as we are smack dab in the middle of the Christian Holy Week, allow me to remind you of this ...according to the bible the Israelite's had 40 years of uncertainty before they entered into their promise...
I used the phrase "down time" but what it really is, is a time of renewal and restoration.

Romans 12:11
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Change your perspective - look up and live!
Blessings
~ KB

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie

“Happiness cannot be traveled to owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

Let there be peace on Earth....let it begin with me

  

Thought for today:
Good morning beautiful people...

Last night I was awaken from a sleep by the rapid staccato of gunfire (I counted 23, all 1 gun, my guess a Glock) and the screams of a mother "that's my baby" I then saw the flash of red and blue lights and heard the power engines of the cop cars. None of the sounds are unfamiliar to me...a sad commentary on our society in general...

What I will NEVER get used to, what I pray will ALWAYS be unfamiliar is the mindset that has a lack of hope to the point where a human life is so devalued that an individual truly believes that he/she has the right to take it (most instances it is done over something trivial and authorized by a sense of misguided loyalty and pride)

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
(NEWS FLASH - Your mind is part of your body)

As I sat to regroup and gather my thoughts after what had transpired, I began to ask myself about believers....where are we? I see us in mass numbers on Sundays. I see us in mass numbers online...seriously, how many of us speak up when we hear or see things operating outside of the will of God? I am not talking about proselytizing...I am talking about sharing a message of hope and allowing the individual to decide what they are going to do with it...

The word gospel translates to "good news" but far too many of are concerned with the "bloom" of the end result rather than planting the seeds. From me to you....sometimes the gardener never sees the bloom - How many people are around to see the giant redwoods?

Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

We hold on fast and firm to our tenets and principles but have a pronounced fear of proclaiming the word...a sense of hoarding of the gospel... Folks the word IS our manna!!! What were the rules for manna (basically, a person could gather a portion for the day and could only keep it for the day.)

Is it our position and decision to say who is expendable? Should it be our practice to remain quiet when we hear/see someone floundering? Do we remain silent when we hear someone misinterpret scripture or wield it as a weapon of judgement?

REAL TALK brothers and sisters if your love does not include others (ALL OTHERS...forget your spiritual "country club" preaching to the choir standard operating procedures) your love is incomplete and we will continue to see /hear of young people dying...
The word never addresses people's "comfort" when God is moving them into their calling and purpose  ~ KB

Better to give

  


Thought for today:
Good morning kings and queens,
I’m forewarning you that this may be a rather lengthy..
I recently had an experience where I gave a gift of a dinner, nothing major, I looked at it as I was eating, why not share. The recipient of the gift said…I will return the favor. Boom…this is where my spirit shifts…. I personally feel that giving is a spiritual gift and on some levels the gesture of reciprocity felt obligatory.
The recipient of the gift explained that they wanted to be completely autonomous and as they say in cowboy movies “don’t want to be beholdin’ “
Here in lies my message…in this ying and yang exchange the recipient asked me “why can’t you receive?” This question brought me to my “Boondocks PAUSE”
My Earthly, human, response was hurt…I gave because it was on my heart to give and the response felt like a business transaction. Hey! This is my stuff so I’m going to leave it as my stuff… again I’m going back to the question….
I have to say I really gave this question great thought so I went to scripture…
I know the majority of the spirit of giving is rooted in how I was raised. I have shared that I was raised by a single mother…now to flesh this story out a bit, I was raised by a single mother but my father lived a separate life inside the home. He had numerous instances of infidelity. He was a mentally, emotionally, verbally and physically abusive alcoholic. His presence was an evil, angry energy and the fact that he regularly physically abused my mother was a weight that no kid should bear. I note the fact that my mother and her income was our sole means of support and one paycheck with 3 kids only goes so far. There were many days that…food was rationed or stretched to the point where I wished someone would step up and help out; my maternal grandparents passed away at an early age and my father’s family is what shaped his behavior (all the men led similar lives)..
Wow, this story takes lots of pauses doesn’t it?...
Back to my point…I grew up in church…my mom made it a point to see that we had a spiritual foundation. In church and in my daily life I learned that adage “it is better to give than to receive” My belief in this adage was solidified by one of the primary tenets of my faith
John 3:16 New King James Version (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I searched for scripture about receiving and I can honestly tell you that almost every scripture I found mentioned “giving” and then referred to blessing being returned by God…
Deuteronomy 15:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.
Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Acts 20:35 New King James Version (NKJV)
35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
OK…wrapping it all up for you…I don’t have a problem with receiving. I struggle with it feeling like it’s provided as an obligation. I don’t have a problem with receiving…I struggle with it when the spirit of the gift has triggered someone….
I don’t have a problem with receiving but I’m going to receive in the Spirit and by the spirit based on my upbringing, knowing that you saw a need (whether I need food or you sense I need something to just brighten my day,) and my knowledge and promises of God.
Philippians 4: 11-13 …11 I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. 12I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation— to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. 13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.…
I give because it’s on my heart to give and it is my prayer that we all learn to give without constraint and restraint because if more people are giving the blessings will flow and change your perspective on life..
REAL TALK, learn to let your hardships in life soften your heart and your spirit…allow the spirit access to your fragility….it leads to a purity in life and love ~ KB

Let Go and Let God

Thought for today:
A most gracious good morning to you beautiful kings and queens

Thomas Paine is quoted as saying "These are the times that tries men's souls" Every single day I am interacting with people whose mental health is extremely "triggered" by the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic..

If you know me, you'd know that there is a very small list of things that causes me to lose my "zen." I attribute this to two things; first and foremost my faith - I have been through some very life altering situations and they have only served to steel my belief. Second and on a more secular and worldly nature...I am a native NY'er...I am from Western NY , not NYC... one of the major cities of what's known as the "rust belt"... A city of migrants from the South and Immigrants form Europe...basically people who know what is is to be abounded and abased ...tough, scrappy people. My ancestry has survival in its DNA (Black, Native and Irish) combine this with my NY scrappy and it just serves as a mixture to cut to the chase and kills all the drama and noise..All this being said to share the message of this pic...

Brothers and sisters I challenge you to take this time to quiet your mind and focus on who and what matters in your life. I challenge you to focus on where your heart and passion is born..
I challenge you to reflect on these words:

Luke 12:25-31 (NIV)
25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Folks from me to you....let go and let God~ KB