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Faith Uprooted Hope Revived Wisdom Guide for Life’s Journey
Written by Doroty Derlin Palmer
All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Blackcurrant Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Blackcurrant Press Company.
ISBN 978-0-9840379-9-5
Printed in the United States of America
F AITH U PROOTED Hop e R e v iv e d Wisdom Guide for Life’s Journey
By DOROTY DERLIN
“If the pressures of your life seems to be growing minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, if you are feeling confused, tired, weary, lost, defeated, broke, going around and around in circles and losing hope to continue the struggles of life, this book is for you.”
Giving up is not an option—“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” 2Timothy 1:7 KJV.
… The LORD the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to established it, the LORD is His name. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not, Jeremiah 33:2 KJV.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To my three daughters, Aesha Jamilah, Rasheedah Fateemah and Zsumayah Jahaanah, I love you all. You are my greatest inspiration and joy. This book is dedicated especially for you girls. Know that with God all things are possible, if you only believe. To my Mom and dad, Euphemia and Hubert, I Love you both. Thank you for the principles that you instilled in me and for your unconditional love. To my sisters and brothers and their family, Melonie and Donald, Shurraine and Clifford, Rodrigo and Doreen, Alberto and Delia, Ronaldo and Marlon, love you much. This book is dedicated to you and your family; you are always on my mind and in my heart. Love you all. To my dear friends, Shirley, Elsa, Rosa, Angela, Claudette, Polly, Lisa, Attre, Beverly John love you all. Thank you, for your continued love and support. Don’t ever give up on the only true God who cares so much for you. One who sacrificed much for us all, His only Begotten Son. To the many talented unpublished authors waiting patiently to be discovered, special dedication to you all. Yes, you can! Just pick up your computer and start writing. You can, if you believe, you can.
PREFACE This book is dedicated to all of you who believe you don’t have what it takes to be the person God created you to be and is ready to give up on yourselves. No matter how bad the circumstances are in your life, you can overcome them all. Yes, you have what it takes to succeed in all the dreams and goals life has afforded you. You are not defeated until you give up or you give in to the hurdles of life, hurdles that have been set into your path to train you for life’s journey. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Windell Holmes If you are lacking determination, enthusiasm, motivation and are seeking wisdom to inspire yourself; to build confidence and faith that will enable you to step out of the quarter of the circle you’ve been stuck into all your life, and are willing to embrace your originality, your God giving talents and ability and be propelled to capture the endless possibilities and opportunities that are at your fingertips. Look no further this is the right book for you.
Stop! Take a deep breath, breathe, breathe again and again-
INTRODUCTION Uprooted Faith Why did God raise Jesus from the dead?
“Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God,� 1 Peter 1:21 KJV. Uprooted faith simply means that each day we live, we must remind ourselves why Jesus resurrected from the dead, then, move forward with a confident understanding that it is in Him we move, we breathe and we exist, that is the promised hope. A hope with reliance, steadfastness, dependency and trustworthiness, a hope with consistency, mutual love and loyalty, yes, we must look ahead with a true attitude and a desire of full expectations as we move towards a hope from a Loyal Begotten. Only then, we will receive a renewed, refreshed, and revived spirit. A spirit that will uproot His faith in our hearts and minds, propelling us to stand with unshakable strength; a strength as strong as the root of the mulberry tree, that stood firm in the ground for over six hundred years. No matter the circumstance we face, if we are rooted and grounded firmly in Christ Jesus, we will be unmovable like the mulberry tree, and will be able to stand the test of time. Confidence and trust in the faith of Jesus, cannot compare to the mulberry tree, it is only an analogy to i
demonstrate Christ firm grip on our lives. Nothing, nothing is able to take you out His strong arm, if you hold on to Him and continue to trust Him. Give yourself the opportunity to experience Christ love for you, an experience that will only grow and flourish like the mustard seed in the field. When I decided to write this book, I was looking at the problems so many of us are facing this second, this minute, this hour and I saw our mental, physical and spiritual struggle as we go through our challenges. While looking at them through our individual eyes we are losing hope and we are letting go of the hand of the Only One who can save us. Then I thought to myself: ‘God knew we would be going through this situation at this very moment, today, at this very time; He knew what our reaction would have been, how frightened we would have been, just as it is taking place right at this very moment. For this precise purpose He sent His beloved Son to die and resurrect so we could have Him in the midst of our lives, just as any loving parent would have done’. The difference: His Son came to help us through our circumstances, yes! He is alive and fully equipped to carry your burden and mine. He knows our future and has the power to stop or allow whatever He sees fit. I need to remind God’s children that in the process of waiting, don’t let go, hold on as ii
tight as you can to Him. He is our only safe guard, He will guard us while He guides us every step of the way; just trust Him. “Say to those who are fearful-hearted; be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you,” Isaiah 35:4, NKJV. He wanted to put an end to this mental and physical slavery, this was the very purpose He resurrected, that going forward we can be certain that we are not alone in our circumstances. We can look and move forward to a fulfilled life in Him with certainty as we grip firmly His abounding love in faith, and trust. “Even there your right hand shall lead me; and your right hand shall hold me,” Psalms 139:10 NKJV. While going through your circumstance, do not ever forget that Jesus died a wicked death for you. More importantly, don’t ever forget that He was thinking of you when He took His last breath on Calvary’s Cross, (It is finished), and yes, how can you ever forget the reason for His resurrection – to give you grace, so you can have hope in Him for all circumstances of your life. Because of the gift of the dispensation of His grace, hope abounds. This grace is extended to all the circumstances you and I face in our lifetime. It gives us opportunities to be strong in Him, to have access to Him, to hold on to His faith and His perfect strength in our weakness, to have access to His peace while we meditate iii
on His goodness and His mercies that endures forever. Even if it seems as though the heaven is falling we can hold on with certainty and trust in His mercy and His goodness. “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” No matter what the outcome of your circumstance looks like, do not let go of Him, just meditate on His word, stay focused on Him, and you will have a peaceful heart and a content mind. You will feel His love in your heart, more importantly, while going through your struggles do not lose sight of His love. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever,” Psalms 125:1-2 NKJV.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction, Uprooted Faith..............................................i 1. A New Day..................................................................12 2. Life’s Principles.......................................................18 3. Hope...........................................................................23 4. Faith & Prayer...........................................................29 5. Circumstances...........................................................34 6. Just Believe................................................................46 7. The Word – Our Guide ..............................................54 8. Faith Uprooted..........................................................60 9. Circumstances “Growth & Change..........................67 10. Life “Choices”............................................................74 11. Temptation Can Lead to Sin....................................83 12. Wisdom....................................................................89 13. Thoughts......................................................................96 14. Preparation for Eternity.........................................106 15. Preparation an Attitude of Thanks..........................123 16. Established.............................................................135 Poem........................................................................144
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C HAPTER O NE A New Day
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" I woke up this morning, to see another day! A new day! Imagine! A special day allotted just for me! Yes, me, Doroty! I have been given another day as a gift from God. I am highly favored and greatly loved. Yes, I have been awarded a new day to start a fresh. Thank you Lord, 12
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for your “goodness and your mercies that endures forever.” I am so grateful for this opportunity to examine my slipups and blunders, modify my behavior, turn from my wrong doings and rectify my wicked ways. I have been given favor once again. Yes, more time was allotted to me to tell those whom I have hurt, that I am sorry. Yes, another opportunity to ask for their forgiveness and make right with them and with God as well as myself. Now, I can truly look forward in becoming that person God created me to be. Now, that I have acknowledged my inaccuracies and my errors and corrected my wrongs and have a new lease on life, I can move on with my life. Yes! Yes! I can move onward to this exceptional, amazing bright and sunny day to start anew, and make the best of it. YES! NOW I CAN. I need to continue in the Wisdom from above, the only kind of wisdom that can prepare me to deal with today’s circumstances and continue to look forward for tomorrow’s possibilities. I am determined as well as enthusiastic about moving forward with my life, as I refocus and rebuild myself. I also get the opportunity to observe, scan, gaze, view, examine, and even 13
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witness first hand those circumstances as they unfold right in front of my eyes. I am forever grateful and I am humbled as I learn and grow through exposures like these, exposures that life afforded me to build upon for a better tomorrow. I have been told that in order to receive the right kind of blessings, there is a narrow path that will surely lead me there. This path has already been prepared and outlined for all of us; the choice is ours. So, I accept this path and I celebrate whatever it offers me. I came to the conclusion that this is my life and I have to travel this path as long as there is a race to be won. So, I put on my diligent cap and I diligently train my mind and prepare myself to receive these obstacles as they come. Yes, I refuse to be surprised by them or be dismayed by them. I understand that “obedience is better than sacrifice;� and what happens in my life, it is the will of my Father. This type of training is necessary while I am being perfected. I am determined to keep a clear view as I learn how to build up and strengthen my body, mind and spirit while refusing to be offended, distracted or lose my enthusiasm. Experiences like these, has only propelled me to push harder and stand firmer, while I regain my courage, and determination as well as my resolve to continue the journey. Thanks and praises to 14
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the Author and Finisher of my life. Now that I am gaining understanding how to live this life, I glance and I survey as I run the race of faith, beholding, inspecting and observing everything that could stand in my way, things that are not of God’s character; things that could block me or slow me down from winning the race of life. I am convinced more than ever before, that in order to be protected and be safe from all harm and danger I must stay in the realm that was mapped out for me by My Heavenly Father, I must stay focus and not turn from the right or from the left. I will continue lifting up my eyes to the hills where my help cometh. Yes, I mark, and remark my steps as I continue to grow in His grace and, as I gain more and more knowledge about Him. All the knowledge that I have acquired, I put them into prospective and use them as warning signs, to help me outline and distinguish the proper direction for the journey of my life. Now, I can share my experiences, with those who want to hear about them. They become my true testimony as I lived and experienced them first hand. Yes, they are my stories to tell, my own stories. These experiences has helped me see things in a better light, they have made me a better person. Now, I can act as my own advisor, my own coach, even my own mentor as well as guidance 15
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counselor to others. Wow, it’s an awesome thing to see the changes that has and is taking place in my life while I grow in Him. I am doing everything I can to adhere to His directions as best I can because He knows more about me than I know about myself. By reflecting, I have come to the realization that these changes would not have been possible in my own strength. I have grown into a stronger person; my courage has increased, my fears and anxiety has been diminished as I depend on Him more and more to lead me. I must give the One who created me the praise, honor and the glory due to His matchless name while I continue focusing on the rest of the path and as I continue rebuilding, learning, sharing and celebrating my life. These hurdles and challenges serve me more as training tools than threats, they help me grow in His Wisdom. I have become more proficient and I have gained more knowledge and faith. I also get the opportunity to help others to grow along the way, so they too can avoid making the same mistakes I made; mistakes that can keep us out of the Eternal Kingdom, rob us from our blessings and take us to the pit of hell. 16
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This life training never stops, it continues, it helps us to become well rounded; it also helps us continually growing in Him. It rebuilds and re establishes us. It invigorates and renews us as well. I am so excited as I grow in God’s grace and as I get to know Him day by day. I am fortunate to be blessed like this, it is a wonderful thing to know that someone cared that much for me, that they would put things in place for me way in advance, so my life would be secure and safe. I have been in His thoughts all along. Yes, He has always thought of us, that is why His Son came and died, that we would have hope in Him. CAN YOU FATHOM THIS REALITY? I can! Yes, I can!
“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end,” Jeremiah 29:11 KJV.
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About the Author Doroty Derlin Palmer is a single mother of three beautiful daughters. Motto: Dream, Believe, Envision and Discover. She believes that we are God’s precious gems. She believes that what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us, Windell H. Holmes. She is Founder of the inspirational website ShareMyWisdom.com with over six million viewers. She is the founder, producer, editor and host of Where Are We Going? talk show, and Share My Wisdom live cable television show exhorting the word of God and bringing hope to people who need it. Her goal and aspirations are to help guide, encourage, motivate and equip any individual who wants the opportunity to make it happened for themselves. Ms. Palmer’s know for sure that there is life in Jesus Christ. She believes that He is the only sustainer of life because in Him we breathe, live and move. Stay blessed! 149