7 minute read
MONTHLY MANNA
Min. Carenda Deonne
The Beauty of Life Changing Moments
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There are special times when we experience life changing moments. Moments that shift our entire being (mindset, spirit and body). It’s beautiful when we experience those moments with Christ. When He gently yet abundantly refreshes us with His word and gives us assurance that He loves us. Throughout our daily schedules and demands, ceasing the moment and yielding to Christ through song, prayer, study, and meditation is truly priceless.
I recently traveled to speak at a Women’s Conference. In my room was a beautiful view of the beach. The weather
was perfect, and the timing was divine. I grabbed a light jacket, my bible, notepad and pen, and headed for the balcony. Just taking time to look at God’s creation was joyous, but when I began to settle my spirit and relax in His arms, He spoke three things to me that has eternally changed my life.
The first thing He told me was “stop chasing success.” He reminded me in His word, “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 28:2. I had this thing backwards. I was chasing and toiling on “the next big thing.” Chasing after people or events that I felt was the answer to my “big break.” However, the Lord expressed to me that my responsibility is to obey Him.
It’s in our obedience to what God would have us to do that would cause the blessings of the Lord not only to come upon us, but also overtake us. I was encouraged that God’s blessings do not just come in any form or manner; no, they are coming in such a way that will outdistance us. Wow, how powerful is that? God is not only in the blessing business but blessing overhaul! What makes His blessings so much sweeter is that they enrich us, free from regret, shame or sorrow.
The second thing the Lord spoke to me was, “not to put more trust in man than in Him.” I was convicted on trusting God in my prayers but trusting man to answer my prayers. However, the bible teaches us in Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not to thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” When our path is directed by God, He will see to it that destiny helpers align with His purpose for our life. We must put our trust in God! Putting our trust in man will redirect our steps outside of God’s will. We must trust God not only to protect and care for us, but also to direct our path. We don’t just want anyone interlinking in our path, who is not supposed to be there. We must remember that our path is connected through divine alignment in Christ.
The last thing the Lord spoke to me was “change your perspective regarding delay.” I personally saw delay as rejection. However, that is not how we as Christians should perceive it. We must remember that God knows the end from the beginning. We also must remember that He is not slack concerning His promises towards us. There was a time, in the book of Daniel, when he waited twenty-one days before the angel of the Lord appeared. Daniel did not give up. He kept praying. When the angel of the Lord came to Daniel, he told him that there was much warfare going on, which hindered him from getting to Daniel sooner. However, it was because of Daniel’s fervent and persistent prayers that led to breakthrough. As a Christian we need to take hope that when we are experiencing delay, there could be something happening in the spiritual realm, that we are unaware of. Nevertheless, we must pray without ceasing. I am a true believer that you shall reap if you faint not.
As we welcome Spring and as the weather begins to shift, I pray that God will also show Himself mighty in our lives. It is my sincere hope that He will speak to us and share life changing wisdom that will align our path with His perfect will. I wanted to share this personal testimony with you to encourage you that God is still in the speaking business. He has much to say in this season of our lives. Therefore, take time to relax, settle your spirit and open your heart to receive ALL that He desires to share with you. It will be the best decision you ever made. Walking in the Ezra Anointing,
Min. Carenda Deonne
Dr. CarlaDr. Carla Debnam, Founder, Renaissance Christian Counseling CenterDEBNAM 2222 April 2022 April 2022
Encourage Yourself
So many people are overly critical of themselves and not looking at the good qualities they have because of what people have said about them or more importantly what they have said to themselves. This negative self-talk is not good for them mentally, physically or spiritually. Aligning your thoughts with the scripture along with highlighting your unique skills and abilities, focusing on the positive and developing your potential is essential. It is important for learning and being the person God created you to be. It is about coming into agreement with who God says you are and articulating that to yourself and then others to the glory of God. It is not bragging but it is acknowledging the gift you are to others and more importantly to yourself. It is not prideful or arrogant. You must get past your barriers and shame and break through to your potential. That requires a growth mindset. What’s a growth mindset?
We get a growth mindset as we are transformed by renewing our minds and as we continually work towards being our best self. We were created to grow and go into the world to share ourselves. Affirming yourself and building up your mind, character and potential, benefit the Body of Christ. We are one body. Each of us needs to do our part and to do it to the best of our ability. It’s not about performance but potential. A growth mindset is not about perfection but is about taking on iron sharpening assignments so that you can become all you were created to be. The scriptures remind us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV); and “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21 (NIV). We have what it takes to be our best. We must believe it. We have Jesus as an example to follow and need to implement the strategy of encouragement in every area of our lives. Our example is God who when creating the universe complemented His work, with the words “it was good”. It starts with knowing who you are in Christ. You are a new creature and were created to do good works. You are a child of God, and this is the most important role and title you possess. Words have different meanings and are powerful when spoken with authority and spiritual confidence. We must choose our words wisely. Words have power. Think before you speak. This is what you usually do when speaking to others and it is essential especially when the world has negative messages we must fight through.
We must also learn to practice self-compassion. Many times, we have not seen it modeled in our families or in others we relate with. Many of us have been taught to be kind, helpful and loving to others but we fail to treat ourselves kindly. We have forgotten the Second Greatest commandment: “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Matthew 22:39 (CEB). The question becomes, “do you love yourself?” We would all say yes! But how do you show it? Do you treat other people better than you treat yourself? If so, are you living the second commandment to love your neighbor ‘as’, meaning equally, as you love yourself? We can all be challenged by the voice in our head that reminds us of our faults more than our faith, our problems more than God’s promises and our foes more than our friends. We must learn to affirm ourselves with the truth and not the lies we have learned to believe.
Dr. Carla Debnam, Founder, Renaissance Christian Counseling Center
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