MaStepism Words of Wisdom Of MaStep
Stephanie Stephens
Copyright Š 2015 by Rachelle Ford. All rights reserved, Including the right of reproduction In whole or in part in any form. Designed and Published by Rachelle Ford Thru CreateSpace Manufactured in the United States
1 5 1 1 6 4 9 1 5 1 ISBN-13: 978-1511649155
This book was put together by Rachelle Ford in honor of Stephanie Stephens. Her words have forever guided me into the correct path and have always been a lamp post in my darkest moments. It is a privilege to be able to compile her words into a book format to share with the world.
All proceeds will go directly to MaStep and her “Bucket List� funds.
I love you MaStep. Thank you for being such an inspiration.
-Rachelle Ford
MaStepisms
MaStepism #1 Please stop trying to steal the next person’s thunder… you might get struck by lightning!
MaStepism #2 It’s only a test! We know that the Teacher is always silent during the test…whatever you’re going thru..God got you!
MaStepism #3 Breathe, think, enjoy, love….the greatest of these is LOVE.
MaStepism #4 Living your life in the fast lane is a crash course of destruction.
MaStepism #5 Denial….is a sad thing. To blame or not accept responsibility for an illness is even sadder. Accept that you need help and get help! Be proactive and not REACTIVE! Let the healing begin.
MaStepism #6 Regret says “what if?” Worry says “what else?” Faith says “What a mighty God we serve!”
MaStepism #7 Some “folk” so SHADY they could cover a nation! Stop it I say!
MaStepism #8 Therapy IS NOT I repeat IS NOT an STD so stop thinking of it like it’s one. If you need help….get treatment and stop being ashamed, come out of hiding and lose the stigma. We are all fighting some kind of battle!
MaStepism #9 Are folk that intimidated when you share a piece of your dream? So much so they try to deter you and tell you all the reasons it won’t work? You can’t share everything with everybody.
MaStepism #10 If you still cry when you talk about a situation…you’re still hurting and not healing.
MaStepism #11 If you get nothing else from me…take heed to this… Be careful! Not everyone wants to see you succeed or be happy. Nah run tell dat!
MaStepism #12 Just thinking….for some its domestic violence for others its domestic silence for me it was both…But I never would of made it…without YOU...thank God.
MaStepism #13 Don’t count people out just cause you think you got it together. Remember you haven’t always been saved… we all have fallen short of the glory of God. We all belong to somebody. We somebody’s mama daddy sister brother but we also know who our REAL FATHER is….
MaStepism #14 Saints please don’t go to bed angry harboring bitterness, vain, glory, hatred or any negativity. All of those emotions are choices.
MaStepism #15 Never ever think you can keep hurting people and they keep forgiving you over and over that they won’t get to the point of “I don’t care anymore”. That’s not a place you want to be. Trust.
MaStepism #16 I always, always try to be a blessing to others never expecting anything in return. You never truly know who’s watching, who’s admiring, who’s sizing you up for a blessing.
MaStepism #17 Whatever you do in this life…never ever burn your bridges. You never know who you gone need again, when you are going to need them again, and what and how you gone come back cross that burnt down bridge without asking for help!
MaStepism #18 Y’all may or may not know this, but the tiniest bit of gratitude shown to me makes my heart sing. You’re probably thinking I’m not moved by your outpouring of love you show me cuz I’m always a flat line kinda gurl. Nothing could be further from the truth.
MaStepism #19 For so long I thought when you forgave someone you had to continue the relationship. Some people repeatedly mistreat you because they know you’ll repeatedly forgive them (and you should), but it’s very liberating to know now that I can forgive you and be done with you. The reason you can forgive someone and forget them is because they’re God’s business now.
MaStepism #20 Some people need at least two checks and it has nothing to do with MONEY….A REALITY CHECK & AN ATTITUDE CHECK…IN THAT ORDER. Some owning that sense of entitlement…it don’t blongst (yes I said it like that) to you. Every time I hear something along those lines I think about Madea “Yo mama and daddy gave you life, that's all they owe you. What you do with it is on YOU!”
MaStepism #21 I know nobody owes us anything BUT sometimes just a tiny bit of respect would be nice. While we cannot control what folk say or do, we can control how we REACT! I pray folk would get it together soon because those same people you DISRESPECT might be those same people you give ya a$$ to kiss when you UP might have to be the same people that have to wipe ya a$$ when ya DOWN.
MaStepism #22 We are so quick to tell others “I feel ya” but do we really? Do you have someone in your circle that REALLY feels ya…that hurts when you hurt, cries when you cry, do you have someone that will help you with the weight of the cross, so you two can celebrate the victory of the crucifixion? Examine those “friends” so you know who will be with you in those pressing places/times! God will fix it…but you have to be willing to be pressed to be blessed!
MaStepism #23 I’ll be the first to admit that I’m guilty all the time of not spending the quality time I should with Him. Don’t get me wrong, I pray, I try to meditate at least once a week, but to be honest I fall short many times. God knows me, He knows my heart, He knew me before I was in my mother’s womb, yet He still forgives. He still loves me despite my shortcomings, and I thank Jim for that. God is the only one who will truly love me in spite of. Not my family, my friends, my associates, nor my enemies, but please know…I’m okay with that.
MaStepism #24 When you walk into a room, your mere presence will either COMMAN attention or DEMAND attention. Command– to have authority and control over; to deserve or be able to get or receive something. Demand– a forceful statement in which you say that something must be done or given to you; a strong need for something. Nah be honest...which one applies to you?
MaStepism #25 Again, sometimes it is ok to say, do, or be ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You can learn a whole lot more with a closed mouth and open ears. IJS
MaStepism #26 If someone has offended you, LET IT AND THEM GO!!! Trust me you’ll feel so much better, AND you’ll start living again as opposed to existing. I know...That was me...waiting on an apology that perhaps WILL NEVER come...BUT um ok wit that!!! God bless them all for real for real.
MaStepism #27 Why would you cut your nose off just to spite your face? #MakesNoSensetoMe but hey who am I? Stop clocking your blessings or the blessings of those you’re accountable for. IJS
MaStepism #28 You cant hold on to it...YOU CANT!!! It will kill, steal, and destroy you according to the plan of d-evil1. If you
have
issues
with
anger,
bitterness,
and
unforgiveness...PLEASE...LET IT GO! If someone has hurt you and not recognizing or acknowledging it...yes it hurts but you can’t live in old hurtful actions...let it go and let GOD handle them. Let mercy flow through you...Let God take care of the justice part!!! Um begging you!
Prayers
T
hank you Lord for a job. There are so many people that are unemployed, don’t know where the next
dollar, meal, place to lay their head is
coming from. As I go throughout my day, may I
be ever reminded that You Lord are such a giving, loving, and awesome Father, and if we could only trust in you everything will be ok. When we fear, we are doubting what greatness and blessings you have in store for us. Please forgive me for doubting what greatness and blessings you have in store for us. Please forgive me for doubting, for being so gripped in fear that I couldn’t move sometimes. For thinking I was gonna lose my mind at times, for all the stinking and thinking I was doing. I ask and pry for everyone in need of just a touch of the hem of your garment right here, right now, wherever they may be. Touch them Lord, remind them that you never left, nor will you ever. And Lord when we have served you in and through the purpose you put in us, and we have come to the end of our journey; let us be able to hear these beautiful words “well done my good and faithful servant.” These prayers and petitions I now place at the feet of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
T
ake time and focus on the “real”. Real love, real peace, real joy…These “real” things only come from the one True Living God. These “real” things come as a result of “REAL SURRENDER!” People thing
when they surrender, they have to give up the “worldly” things for Kingdom living. Actually, that’s when the REAL stuff begins! You can still live, still have fun, and still have all that your heart desires BUT you gotta SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD...Don’t get it twisted…I aint calling nobody out. Folk always seem to think I’m judging them. I’m talking about Stephanie Stephens and the life I’ve lived, the pain I’ve
suffered (physical and emotional), the shame
(publicly and private), the love, the hate, the sin and the forgiveness. And guess what….I’M STILL HERE! We all have fallen short and there are no perfect people only a perfect God. My sin (big or small) is still sin and because folk do theirs a lil
different, we really aint no different after all. We’re still
sinners! The beautiful thing though is that God in His infinite wisdom still chooses to love and forgive us! Isn’t that awesome! So instead of complaining about what you don’t have, take Time on to give thanks for what you do have. Trust me, been there, done that (and then some lol) and still (thank goodness) got God’s stamp of forgiveness for it! I shole love me some y’all. Nah gwone out there and make ya day matter!
L
ord I thank you for the gift of friendship (or the lack thereof). I thank you that you place people in my life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Those same
people have blessed me and I pray that in some way I have blessed them. Those “friends” that mean me no good, Lord remove them or simply let them linger for a season. Bless them and me and let our “friendship” make a difference to someone. Lord I thank you for this mind you gave me. I know that it is all you and not me. The gift of writing is all you and not me, the gift of listening is all you and not me, the gift of love is all you and not me. All of our gifts of love is all you and not me. All of our gifts are YOU and not us and the sooner we realize and recognize that…the better off we’ll be.
I
sn’t it good to know that if you listen to God and His Word, and put your trust in NO MAN (WOMAN) the last thing you have to worry about is getting your feelings hurt? I think there
are some people who live for drama, dissention, discord, dysfunction and any other “dis” they can latch onto. Unfortunately for some this is a survival technique. That is a sad but true reality. Then when man/woman falls short of their expectations they think/feel they’ve been betrayed when in reality we have to remember that nobody owes us anything. When we learn that the only one we need to look to for our EVERYTHING IS GOD, then we will always be in SURVIVOR mode.
L
ord, I thank you everything. I am so grateful for the little things and the BIG ones as well. Blessings are abundant, we only need to recognize them. We ask for
a sign, and a butterfly goes by and we relish its beauty, but don’t even realize it was you answering our requests. I try to pay attention to the smallest of things, for You are omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. You are so worthy to be praised! My Lord!!!