God Hears You!

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” 

Psalm 116:1 -2 (NIV)

Have there ever been times in your life when you’ve felt so broken and alone that you couldn’t even trace the existence of God in anything around you? I have. I’ve been so heartbroken, so angry, so deep in a pit of despair, that I couldn’t fathom God could love me let alone listen to me. My heart ached from loving, from longing, from losing…the rage from rejection boiled within my soul…WHY?!?! Why God, do I suffer so? Why does MY heart always seem to love too much, believe too blindly, absolve too easily? Why do I continue to reach out to the broken in my life only to end up further broken myself? Once the heartbreak occurs, then the withdrawal process begins. I shut down. I push people away. I self-protect. I vow no one will EVER hurt me like that again! Until, the next time…

This cycle of emotional dysfunctional was destroying my life. Whether in matters of marriage, children, siblings, parents, or even friendships, I constantly found myself feeling abandoned and alone. I so often prayed asking God to fix people, situations, and things. I even asked Him to fix me, but seemingly to no avail. What was I doing wrong? Why, did it seem, my prayers weren’t answered? And when I finally stopped talking long enough to actually hear what the Holy Spirit was saying to me, I was shocked and humbled…and awakened! I was doing two things incorrectly. First, I wasn’t always praying in line with the Word of God because I wanted what I wanted, as most of us do (if you’re really willing to be honest with yourself). The second, more egregious of my errors, was that I didn’t believe God was listening to me. My faith that He loves me and that He HEARS me didn’t win out over the doubt in my worth. Even after all of my years of studying the Word, listening to rousing sermons, and sharing the Word of Life with others, I still struggled with my own worthiness. I let low self-esteem and all of the negative things I’ve ever heard about myself continue to dictate my level of faith. I was the problem.

The turning point for me was reading Psalm 116:1 – 2. These two little scriptures drew a mental picture that forever changed the way I viewed God’s love for me. Verse one begins by pointing out the fact that God heard MY voice. That means, He doesn’t just hear random prayers, but just like ANY parent, He knows my voice specifically. When I hear any of my four children, I can usually tell who’s speaking because I hear the uniqueness in each of their voices. And so it is with our Heavenly Father. Yesterday’s devotional reminds us that God took painstaking effort to craft each of marvelously. We are each so unique because He made us that way! So, of course He hears our voices when we pray! But, even better than that, when He hears our cries and our pleas, He leans toward us just the way a parent leans toward their little child in order to focus and hear them better. What love He has for us, to incline His ear toward each of us!

No matter how sad, heartbroken, or alone you feel, know that God’s presence is there with you! He’s waiting for you to call Him so that He can lean down toward you and listen intently to your petitions. Have assurance that He knows you, your voice, and hears you, especially when you’re crying for help. Just like any parent, He’s ready and willing to come because He loves you!

Prayer Focus: Father, help me to believe that you know my voice and hear my prayers when I call to You. Remind me of your love when I allow doubt to shake the foundation of my faith. Speak to my heart, Lord, and stir up assurance in your love, and faith that will overcome all doubt. I know you hear me and I glorify Your name because you are LOVE! Amen!

Clean Your Lens

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”

Psalm 139:13 – 16 (The Message)

What an amazing creature you are! Why? Because God made you! You are so special that He painstakingly planned and created you to be the marvelous individual that you are! But I know that some of you reading this struggle with those compliments because you don’t see that person when you look at yourself in the mirror. You see the fat girl, the ugly boy, or the nerdy kid with the glasses who was called four-eyes and bullied all the way home every day after school. Or you see a dummy, a person who’s not that smart because someone told you that most of your life. When you open your mouth and your melodic voice flows out, you don’t hear that. You only hear the sharps and flats and every little imperfection rather than the overall beauty of your song.

Why? Why have we so easily bought into the negative things people have said to us? Because as we’ve heard the negative comments, the mean taunts, or witnessed the failure of someone to contradict those verbal assaults upon our tender hearts, we secretly began to believe them. We bought into them because our view of ourselves was already compromised. Our lenses became dirty and warped and we stopped seeing who and what God sees when He looks at us. We’ve succumbed to the negative forces that exist solely for the purpose of tearing us down, rendering us ineffective, and destroying our belief in divine purpose. How can one walk in their divine purpose if they don’t even believe they have one?

These verses in Psalm 139 are God’s loving reminder that we are special to Him! But not only special to Him, but that He created each one of us so intricately that we each have a unique purpose in this world. It’s proof that we are all powerful beyond measure no matter what we’ve been led to believe! God planned, sculpted, and formed us as an original masterpieces! We are priceless works of art! Together, we form a tapestry of such tremendous beauty that I am convinced God yelps with joy every time we walk in our purpose, individually and collectively!

Oh beloveds, you need to clean your lenses! You must look in the mirror every single day and speak the exact opposite of all the negative things you’ve been told, shown, or made to believe about yourselves! You must counteract the negative and affirm yourselves each and every day! If you believe you’re ugly, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are beautiful or handsome. If you believe you aren’t smart, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are smart and have a vast mind that yearns to acquire new knowledge. You get the picture, right? But then take it a step further. If beauty or your appearance is your concern, confide in someone you trust who has some fashion sense and learn some new ways to wear your wardrobe and trying new cosmetics or hygiene products. If you want to expand your mind, read books on new subjects or listen to books on tape to expand your knowledge base. Don’t just say it, do it! You have been given power and authority by God to create change in your life! Now take that power and CLEAN YOUR LENS!

Focus Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to see myself the way that you see me. Help me to clean my lens so that I see all of the good that you’ve poured into me instead of focusing on all of the negative and destructive things others have forced upon me. Body and soul, I am marvelously made! Help me to not only speak these truths into my life, but to take action to change what I see when I look at me. I thank you that You’ve lovingly sculpted me for a purpose and that You have a plan for my life! Thank you for loving me THAT MUCH! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Let's Talk About the Light

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” 

Genesis 1:1 – 5 (NIV)

(Image courtesy of damselflyfaith.blogspot.com)

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life” is often quoted in an effort to encourage someone who attempts a new beginning of sorts. It’s almost an anthem for those who are embarking on a new-found journey, redirecting their course, or simply starting all over again. It is a mandate to turn ones’ back upon the failures or disappointments of the past, throw caution to the wind, and create and manifest a new vision for their lives. Since today is New Year’s Day, people all over the world are coming up with New Year’s Resolutions, vows to do better, work harder, exercise more, and thousands of other “self-improvement” promises that may very well go unfulfilled and become quickly forgotten. But…it doesn't have to be that way!

In this passage of Genesis, the very first lines of the Holy Bible, we see that God has looked out over the heavens and the earth and made some decisions. God decided He wanted more than what He saw sitting before Him. He didn’t just want to look out and see formless emptiness shaded over by darkness. He wanted to see light! So, instead of complaining to the Son and the Holy Spirit about how dark it was, how uninteresting the lack of form was, or how empty it felt to look out over it, He opened His mouth and spoke what He wanted to see. He wanted light, not darkness. That’s where He started. If you go on to read the rest of the first chapter, you’ll see that He addresses the formlessness and emptiness as well. But first, let’s talk about the light.

You will NEVER change ANYTHING in your LIFE until you shed light on it! Until you are willing to look at yourself, take responsibility for the choices you’ve made, reconcile yourself with the wrong that has been done to you, and begin the process of forgiving everyone who’s hurt you (including YOURSELF), then real light CANNOT enter. You must want the light to illuminate truth so that you can look at yourself objectively and see where improvement is needed. Life, just like the plants in the earth, is about change and growth. Anyone who remains stagnant fails to grow and it means that you’re not connected to a life-giving source. You must broaden your mind, try new experiences, expand your knowledge of something you’re uncertain of, push past the limitations the world may have put upon you, and become the most outstanding version of yourself that you can be right now! But first…let’s talk about the light.

Once light is shed upon anything, darkness is diminished and you can see clearly. But it does not stop with just seeing clearly. When God spoke light into existence, it is because He recognized that He had the power to create a change in what He saw. He knew that if He spoke light into existence, it would happen. And so it is with us as Believers. We cannot act like situations don’t need to change. We can’t ignore situations that need light to be shed upon them for the sake of comfort or even worse, because we are afraid! We must see what stands before us, find out what the Word of God says about it, and then speak what the Word says in order to bring God’s plans to fruition! But…we cannot just speak it; we must walk according to the Word and as the Bible tells us in Romans 4:17c to “call into being things that were not (as though they are)”. We must not just identify the issues and harp on them, but shed the light of truth and love upon them by speaking the Word of God over each issue. And here’s the challenge; we must change our behavior in order to see the change manifested! The light enters to illuminate the need for changes. We then have to become enlightened by the Word of God in order to see what the change needs to be. From there, we must submit to the power of God by changing our behavior (that we have control over) and seeking God’s power to change that which we struggle with.

So, when we talk about today being the first day of the rest of your life, it actually can be! You can decide today to plan for your success on this new journey or re-dedication to bringing out the BEST in you! Don’t just sit back and wish things were different! Make them happen! Seek the power of God to help you change the complacence that has come to be your “normal”. You are an amazing individual endowed with talents, passion, and purpose! Begin walking in that purpose today! After all, today really can be the first day of the rest of your life!

Prayer Focus: Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask that you move me out of my comfort zone by shedding light upon my life. Open my eyes so that I can see all of the potential that you’ve put inside of me so that I WILL use the gifts/talents that you’ve given me, live out this life with passion all the while striving to fulfill my purpose on this earth! I recognize that when I walk in my purpose with passion and joy, I bring glory to You because I am all that I am because of You! Father, let Your light shine on me, in me, and through me each and every day! Amen!

Happiness is Contagious!

“Happiness is like jam, you can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself.”

Anonymous

Have you ever noticed miserable people tend to surround themselves with other miserable people? Why, you ask? Because it is impossible to remain happy, joyful, or positive around misery! So, when happy people encounter miserable people, they FLEE! They might try to share their happiness with them in an effort to buoy their spirits, but more often than not, it doesn’t work. Misery really does love company!

Now, I used to be a miserable person because that’s all I knew. I was also miserable because of unchecked and unacknowledged emotional issues that presented challenges I was unprepared to deal with. But that aside, I still had a decision to make. I needed to decide whether I was going to choose happiness or stay with the internal misery I’d known for so long. Well, I choose happiness! I’m not going to give you the sugar-coated version of that process. It was HARD WORK! It was a constant challenge because I had to rewire my brain and learn a whole new way to think, react to situations, and plan my thoughts about life in general deliberately. And it is STILL a process!

However, through all of this, I learned that happiness can be just as contagious as misery! I also found that as I shared happiness, it impacted those around me. And when I’ve been down myself and I decided to try to lift someone else’s spirits, mine were lifted, too!!! So, today’s quote is actually quite accurate. It IS impossible to share happiness without it coming back to you! So, make it point to choose to share happiness rather than negativity and watch your joy soar!

Your Life is Worth Living!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." Proverbs 17:22

Psst...guess what? Your life is worth living! No, it won't always be easy. Yes, there will be heartache and at times, almost unbearable pain. But, oh the love, the joy, and the laughter more than make up for it! I see a lot of people talking about 2014 and how it's going to be different. That's great. But do it more than say it. Change some things. Remove some people from your life. Challenge yourself to see the beauty of God's creations rather than the shortcomings and failings all around you. Dare yourself to have a deep, knee-buckling belly laugh every single day despite the negatives you might be dealing with. Surround yourself with positive people who encourage your success, sharpen your skills, and make you laugh and smile! Determine your motto and live it out starting today! I wish you a fulfilling and purpose-filled life, laughter that helps you tap into the joy of the Lord, and love that inspires you, envelopes you, and strengthens you throughout your life's journey! #livelaughlove 

Defining Me

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Can I just say it? I AM TIRED! Why? Because I’m done with the outside impositions upon my being! I’m tired of the expectations of everyone else and I’m about done with it all! I’m tired of the people who tell me that I have to do this or I have to do that to be a First Lady. I’m tired of the other people who tell me that I have to do this or have to do that to be a “good” wife, or mother, or teacher, or whatever else they think or FEEL I should be and do. I AM TIRED! I never asked to be a first lady or wanted to be anyone’s “role model”. I am not the perfect hostess. I don’t enjoy cooking or entertaining when I don’t feel like it. I DO NOT like spending time with people I DO NOT LIKE! I don’t like phony people and the church is filled with them. I can avoid phony people at work but I’m “supposed” to nicely entertain and enable them in church. I don’t like to dress up unless I feel like it. I like to be comfortable. I don’t like hats all that much because I tend to get hot or a headache when I wear them too long. I don’t like high heels because I’ve broken one ankle and the other foot so they’re not comfortable. And truth be told, I don’t like being in church all day for the sake of being in church ALL DAY! I’ve hit the wall and things are about to change drastically in my life, and I pray that those who love me and are closest to me understand, but…

For so many years I’ve done what everyone around me wanted me to do. It started with my mom, then my teachers, followed by my church and my husband. Then gradually over the years, I became so discombobulated by the demands put upon me that I LOST MYSELF! I lost my hopes, my dreams, and the vision that God gave me! I lost MY voice, the voice that was uniquely ME, Liane. I stopped singing music that made me happy (Yes, some of it secular. Ahhh! I know! You’re just appalled aren’t you? Lol!) I stopped writing because I lost touch with the muse within me. I stopped dancing because people kept sending me to Hell because of it. And I wasn’t trying to go there! I was ALWAYS a talker because I’m a writer. I communicated my innermost thoughts and feelings via writing but mostly talking, but nobody talked with me or listened to me. At least, not those closest to me. I was told that I was too sensitive, too needy, too clingy, just too…too…too MUCH all of the time! And I when I went to church looking for love and acceptance, I was criticized and bullied into conformity.

I spent all of my twenties and thirties living much of my life according to the standards of others. But every now and again, I rebelled. I rebelled and rejected that image on so many occasions only to retreat and subsequently resign myself to this existence because I was so far from who I thought I’d become. I was so terrified I’d never find her again that I’d lost my will to fight and at times, even go on. Some rebellions were obvious to others, while some rebellions were inward and quite self-destructive. In one or two cases, I was accused of rebellions and actions I’m not guilty of but because I was so broken, angry, and lost I allowed myself to be perceived a certain way and didn’t care what anyone else thought. I struggled with so much of what my life was and wasn’t that I often contemplated suicide because I just wanted the pain to end.

Ironically, through all of this turmoil, brokenness and confusion, my one constant was the Holy Spirit speaking life to me. Sometimes, He issued harsh warnings to me but was still there to Comfort me even after my rebellious tantrums and bad decisions. Despite not wanting to be in church so many Sundays, it was my worship that literally carried me through my wilderness. No matter what was going on around me or in my life, I worshiped GOD! I cried out, wailed, sobbed to Him for peace and comfort, and He obliged me. As Psalm 40:1 (Amplified) states, “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Now, I’m not sure how patient I was, but I did expect God to somehow move on my behalf. I knew that He not only heard my cries, but felt the rawness of my despair and the full effect of my brokenness. The Lord knew my breaking points and quite often, too often, sent an angel to encourage me, redirect me, chastise me, or empower me in the midst of my valley. He heard my cry! And while it took me a long time to figure it out, I finally realized it was God who created me, God who designed me, God who gifted me, and God who knows what I’m supposed to do with this life, these gifts, and this purpose.

Fast forward to December 28, 2012: Jeremiah 29:11 reminds me EVERYDAY what God has been trying to tell me for my entire life, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. So, in effect, my life, my purpose, and my plans are not determined, impacted, or imposed upon me by anyone BUT God! It is God who knows my beginning and my end, not people! It is God who knows why He gave me certain gifts and abilities and determines how I use them, not people! I have limited myself long enough based on the whims, moods, issues and inclinations of others! I will no longer just be what people want. I will embody “the who” and “the what” that God desires of me. Now, this doesn’t mean I’m going to shirk my Godly responsibilities that I already have. I am a woman of my word and I will see them through. But, oh, will I ever relinquish, reject, and remove myself from any and everything that I KNOW I do that’s not within my purpose! I’m not wasting my time or my talent engaging in anything that takes time and energy away from my purpose anymore. Because I realize that in order to define me, I have to be the ME that God intended in the first place. And it is my prayer that you find the YOU that God intended you to be. Only then will our true purposes become clear and then the world will see the glory of God manifested within His people! God bless you!

Spread Love



“As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:20 – 26 (NIV)

There was a popular song back in the in mid-1950s through the mid-1960s called; Love is a Many Splendored Thing. It was written for a film by the same name (1955) and became the theme song to a soap opera in the 1960’s with the same name. However, I remember hearing the song in all of its dramatic, early 1960’s glory with swelling instrumental accompaniment and tight, emotional harmony provided by The Four Aces whose version is ranked as the most popular. What drew me in as a young girl in the mid-seventies was the signature line, love is a many-splendored thing. Now, at seven, I didn’t know what many splendored meant but based on how they were singing it, I knew it had to be good! Hence, my view of love and loving others was formed by popular culture and my need to be loved. I was often dramatic in demonstrating my love, even at a young age. I was incredibly affectionate and gave that affection freely without concern for how it looked or seemed to others. I loved anyone who came into my circle unless they were mean to me or rejected me and my demonstrations of love. I often gave those who hurt me second and third chances because I assumed everyone else wanted to be loved just like I did. So when it was all said and done, I just wanted to love and be loved!

First Corinthians 12:20 – 26 instructs us to show concern for each other. Not false concern, but concern borne out of love for one another. We within the Body of Christ should express love so freely amongst ourselves that we should be overflowing with love when we walk out of our secret prayer closets and out of our church services that we infect the world around us with the love of Jesus Christ. Believers should never work to divide the members in the Body, but strive at all times to bring the Body closer together! We should be so connected to one another in the spirit that when one of us suffers, we ALL suffer. We one of us is blessed, we should ALL rejoice with them! First Corinthians 12:20 – 26 reminds us that we are all connected to one another. This connection guarantees that we will ALL be impacted, good or bad, when even one member of the Body is impacted. We must commit to loving one another, praying for one another, and working out the issues that divide us within the Body in order to rebuild the love, trust, and godly concern that should and must exist amongst Believers in order for God to move among us as He desires to move within the Body of Christ, and the world!

Prayer: Father, I have not loved Your people the way that I should. I have not loved You the way that I should. I have not uplifted those who were weak, and I’ve not rejoiced with those who rejoiced. I repent for these sins, Father, and I ask that You forgive me. From this day on, with Your help, I will love the way You want me to love. I will uplift those who are struggling or weak, and I will rejoice when others rejoice in the blessings from heaven. I want to please You above all things, and bring glory to the Kingdom, in Jesus’ name, Amen.