Moments with Marla

By Marla J. Henry

This work is a collection of daily Moments that come from the heart of God. The words are inspiring, moving, and thought provoking with the ability to resonate with its readers. You wont want to put it down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512792089

Marla J. Henry

Marla J. Henry, a native of Connecticut, is a relevant, powerful and prolific writer. As a prophet, her ears are in tune with Gods voice and she boldly declares the word of the Lord. Having developed a sensitivity to the things of God she carefully guards His truth. In ministry for over twelve years, Marlas heart is to see Gods people built up, instructed, set free and walking in their divine purpose and destiny. She not only has a heart for God but for His people as well. Marla attended Capital Community College and Smith College where she majored in Liberal Arts and Albertus Magnus College where she majored in Business Management. She has worked extensively in corporate America and has an administrative background. This book is a compilation of Marlas daily blog titled A Moment with Marla which has reached hundreds of viewers. She is humbled and amazed how God uses her in spite of her zigzag journey in navigating through life and prays that this book will be a blessing to you. Marla is a member of New Life Covenant Church in Hamden, CT where her senior leaders are Apostle Randall and Pastor Autumn Furlow.

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Copyright © 2017 Marla J. Henry.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Front cover picture by Wallace Black of WJB Photography

Taken at the State Capital in Hartford, CT

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9207-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9208-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910047

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/15/2017

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF

MY PARENTS

Elder James & Mother Ann Scarlett

Thank you for your selfless work, undying love and unwavering faith in the Kingdom of God. You are worthy of double honor!!

MY GRANDPARENTS

Deacon Fort Waters

My sister, cousins, and I are the recipients of your prayers which preceded us by decades. You were a man of great faith and your legacy lives on. I salute you!!

Reverend Winthrop & Mother Ceola Huyghue

You both were the epitome of godliness, hospitality, kindness and love. You have impacted countless lives!! I honor you!!!

Acknowledgments

I honor my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the source of all my Moments and I am His conduit. I am humbled that He chose me to be His mouthpiece. I love Him with all my heart!!

To Cheryl Johnson of Write it Right for your patience and assistance with editing. Thank you for your expertise.

To my brother in Christ, Elder Troy Herbert, for your constant encouragement and support. You are truly a blessing.

To my mother’s only living sibling, Mildred Wright, who currently resides in Georgia. Aunt Mildred, I love you dearly and I truly thank God for you. You have helped our family and loved us in so many ways. You are a gem!

To my godmother, Bernice Harris, for your constant love and support. You are so good to me. I love you!

Last but certainly not least to my sister, Minnett Joy Henry, for your tremendous love and support down through the years. I appreciate and love you immensely.

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DJ Khaled arranged the smash hit titled All I Do Is Win on his album titled Victory. The song was released in 2010 and quickly became an anthem for many sports teams and others as well, as it recognizes the life of a baller. It went on to platinum status. The song’s famous chorus is sung by singer and songwriter, T-Pain, who passionately exclaims All I do is win win win no matter what.

The song, apart from some ill-favored words, is a feel good song. It pumps you up. Sad to say, some believers feel the opposite of the lyrics of the song. We feel like all we do is fight fight but we never win… In Khaled’s song T-Pain claims to be so great that whenever he steps up in the building everybody hands go up and they stay there.

Many of us put too much attention on what we see and how things seem. We forget the scripture in 2 Corinthians 2:14 that says Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.

It doesn’t matter how things look or what’s taking place in our lives. We always win!! One of the leads in the song, Ludacris, says I never been defeated and I won’t stop now. He also says Can’t never count me out. Y’all better count me in. If you’re a child of God you aren’t defeated. You may have seemingly lost some battles but in the end we always come out on top.

Sometimes we pray for God to heal a loved one and they still pass away. When that happens, especially if they were young, or the sickness quickly ravaged their bodies, we’re tempted to become angry with God; not realizing that God can heal you in life or make one whole through death. For a believer death is not the end. We have a blessed hope beyond the grave, knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

I don’t know what you’re facing right now but you are not defeated. When you feel like you can’t make it or are perplexed about what to do, throw your hands up and let them stay there. Uplifted hands are a sign of surrender. Tell God you’re surrendering everything over to Him. Give your burdens and cast your cares on Him. God will cause you to triumph every time.

I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that All I Do Is Win was on the album titled Victory. As believers we have victory in Jesus. Nothing can defeat us.

ALL WE DO IS WIN WIN WIN NO MATTER WHAT!!!

My sister recently attended the funeral of a woman she knew. Later on that day, when I saw her, I said oh, did you get a resumé? I immediately shook my head and said, I mean a program. My sister solemnly replied "well, it is a resumé."

When I asked my sister for the resumé I wasn’t trying to be flippant. I’m not sure if it was a Freudian slip or not, but the truth is how we live our lives will determine what will be written about us when we’ve come to the end of our lives. We don’t control our start date and for the most part we don’t control our end date either. What we are given power to control, determine, and influence is what happens in between.

A resumé is simply a summary of our personal, professional, and educational experiences and qualifications. It highlights what we’ve done and accomplished.

In 2 Corinthians 3:2 (King James Version) it says Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. It’s not merely our titles and positions that people read, but how we daily live our lives. Are we kind, loving, have integrity, are responsible and can be depended on or are we haughty, crass, irresponsible and bitter?

We are all in essence writing our resumés every day of our lives. What will people say about you? What are they saying now? If it’s a negative report and isn’t the way you want to be remembered, change your life. You can end better than you started. We often pray for God to change our situation when He’s given us the power to change ourselves. I heard someone say If you don’t like how your life is going change it. You’re not a tree. Psalm 1:3 says that the righteous man is like a tree, not that he is a tree.

We were told the date of our birth by our parents or guardians. However, they didn’t have the power to give or determine the date of our demise. All we know is that we’re here right now. We don’t know how long our time will be.

I’m sure many of us have heard the story about the dash. The dash is the symbol which hangs in between the date of our birth and the date of our death. It’s an unassuming symbol yet it holds so much. In it are anniversaries, weddings, celebrations, graduations, births, deaths, acquisitions, educational experiences, opportunities to impact the world and so on. All of that and so much more resides in that unassuming symbol.

Live your life on purpose and give it all you got!!! Remember that you’re writing your resumé every day of your life and you’re being read of all men.

According to dictionaryreference.com, resistance training is physical training that utilizes isometric, isotonic or isokinetic exercise to strengthen or develop the muscles. Isometric exercise is exercise or a program of exercises to strengthen specific muscles or shape the figure by putting one muscle or part of the body against another or against an immovable object in a strong but motionless action, as by pressing the fist of one hand against the palm of the other or against a desk.

Some types of resistance exercises are Olympic lifting, power lifting and weight lifting. According to the emedicinehealth.com website, the exercise works by causing microscopic damage or tears to the muscle cells which in turn are quickly repaired by the body to help the muscles regenerate and grow stronger.

After the muscle fibers are broken down through resistance exercise, muscle tissues can regrow. The breakdown is the catalyst for the muscles to grow. Resistance exercise is also important because as we age our muscle fibers decline and osteoporosis can set in. This kind of exercise can help deter that and reduce the risk of injury from daily activities,

To develop strength and tone it’s recommended that one lift weights that are heavy enough to create muscle fatigue. After one has become accustomed to a certain weight, it should then be increased. As you steadily increase the weight, you get stronger. It’s called the Principle of Progressive Overload. Basically meaning added stress will lead to added strength.

For some of us the pressure in our lives seems to have intensified and we’ve said to God What’s going on? We know we’re not reaping due to sin, so we’re puzzled as to why we’re being pushed and stretched in such a fashion. It’s because God wants our muscles and our capacity to grow. The strength of bodybuilders intensifies because they keep increasing the amount of weights they lift.

God is developing you not for where you are but for where you’re going. That’s why the pressure doesn’t seem to match the level you’re on. You say, God I’m just a college student or a bookkeeper, etc. The pressure and the stress you’re under is because of your destiny. You’re going through spiritual and mental resistance training so you will be able to stand under great weight and not crumble. You’re going somewhere.

The process God has you on is important. You feel like you’re being crushed, but like the muscle fibers you must be broken down in order for you to grow. If you abort the process, you won’t have the strength you need for the next level.

Isn’t it funny how we run from the very things and situations that offer us the greatest opportunities to grow, be strengthened, developed and toned? Ouch!!! I’ll raise both hands for that one. We must stick to the process. Let God develop you and make you stronger. A year from now and five years from now you’ll be so glad you did. You’re training for reigning!!! Great people can stand under great pressure.

Let God know that you will no longer resist resistance training. Say, God I yield to whatever you want to do in my life. I know it’s making me stronger, better, wiser and is preparing me for my destiny. Thank you for trusting me with the training.

#growingthroughresistance

Gospel great Yolanda Adams recorded the song Even Me on her album titled Through The Storm. It’s a revision of the hymn with the same name written by Elizabeth Codner in 1860. Yolanda’s version says Lord I hear of showers of blessing. Thou art scattering full and free… Let some drops now fall on me. Even me Lord, even me.

When you’re in ministry you labor, intercede, and constantly pour out into others. It doesn’t matter if it’s behind a pulpit or with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). If you’re constantly pouring out into others and impacting lives that’s ministry. At some point you will need to pull away and say Lord, this time I’m coming to you on my own behalf. You can’t constantly give out to people and not need refreshing at some point yourself. Sometimes you have to say, Lord, ‘Even Me’.

A mother of young children constantly feeds, nurtures, cleans up after and does so many things for her children. They don’t realize that their mother needs a break sometimes, because the truth is they don’t even see their mother as a person. To them she’s just their mother. The children’s favorite word is Ma and because of her love for them, she keeps pouring out.

At times ministry can be a thankless job. You have to constantly remind yourself that your reward is on high. People don’t really see you as a person. They just see you as someone who is anointed to shepherd, preach, teach, heal, sing, etc.; constantly pulling on you and not realizing that sometimes you also need to be refreshed. In Philippians 2:17, Paul said Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. We are constantly being poured out.

If you have a great pastor or leader, make sure they’re able to get away and get refreshed as needed. It’s not an easy job. They’re constantly on call and have to make many sacrifices for those they lead on top of the warfare they must contend with. And for those in ministry, please know that it’s ok to sometimes pull away, take a break from feeding others and say, Lord, ‘even me’. No one can pour out from an empty vessel. Allow yourself times of refreshing, refilling and refueling.

There’s an old proverb that says I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. How often do we gripe about what we don’t have instead of shifting our focus and being grateful for what we do have? Often, we don’t realize that there are people all around the world who are doing so much more with so much less than we are. The reason they’re able to do more is because they’ve made a conscious decision to change their perspective and not focus on their limitations.

I read an article from 2012 by Elizabeth Hovde from The Oregonian. The title of her article was Income in Perspective: America’s poor are among the world’s wealthy. In the article it said If your family income is $10,000 a year you are wealthier than 84% of the world. If it’s $50,000 or more, you make more than 99% of the world. Even with those statistics being from 2012 that’s pretty staggering. Hovde said that even the poorest among us are richer than most of the world.

If you’ve ever wondered where you rank according to the world’s standards of wealth check out The Global Rich List. It will give you your ranking based on figures from The World Bank Development Research Group. This would undoubtedly change your perspective and cause you to realize how blessed you are.

In America we readily throw away what others would love to have. Our discretionary income alone could feed entire families. Some of us have even taken on part time jobs in addition to our full time ones, so we could have extra income to play with.

Much of our angst comes from comparing ourselves to those who seemingly have more than we do. We watch reality shows and see celebrities with luxury homes and cars. Not realizing that some of their possessions are leased and that reality is not reality at all.

The holiday season causes many people to look at their lives and focus on what they don’t have and what they desire. For some it’s a home, for others a car, a new career, a new life, a mate, a child, a degree, etc. If we would just shift our focus from what we don’t have to what we do have, we would see how blessed we truly are.

If you woke up this morning, are able to read this post, have acuity of mind to comprehend what you’re reading, are able to clothe yourself and feed yourself, have a roof over your head and food to eat you’re blessed.

Life may not be what you want it to be, or have gone the way you thought it would, and you may not be where you thought you’d be at this stage in life, but YOU REALLY ARE blessed. If you lived in some places, you wouldn’t be able to read this post because there is no access to the internet.

Change your perspective. Stop concentrating on the fact that things could be better. The truth is things could be much worse and they are for many people around the world. There are many who would gladly trade places with you. If you don’t believe me ask the man with no feet.

I recently saw a show on The Food Network called American Diner Revival. On the show, Ty Penington from Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Chef Amanda Freitag go across the country assisting towns by helping to save diners in their local communities. Amanda gives the cooks at these establishments tips to refresh and liven up stale menu items and Ty offers carpentry and design expertise to give the diners a fresh new look. Many of the diners in need of reviving have a recurring theme. The owner or a family member has died and the people who are left to carry on the work are having a hard time moving beyond their grief.

On one episode, a diner called Liz’s Kitchen in Goodlettsville, TN, was struggling and the owner was having a difficult time moving past her grief after losing her son. The restaurant looked tired, the food had become somewhat lackluster and business was no longer thriving.

Ty and Amanda worked their magic and surprised the owners, with the help of their staff and community, with a restaurant makeover. At the reveal the owner’s daughter said to her mother We need you mom! She knew that her mom was still holding onto the pain of losing her son and had somewhat checked out. The owner, Liz, bursts into tears. Her inability to move forward was affecting everyone and everything around her. Liz was the thermostat in her community.

Many times when people lose children, spouses, beloved family members or friends, especially suddenly or violently, they park at grief and stop living. They just exist and go through the motions of life. In Deuteronomy 34:8 it says that after Moses died And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. To be honest I initially thought it was rather cold for the children of Israel to only grieve for their leader, who was larger than life, for only thirty days. Now that I’m older and have experienced grief and losses in various capacities I know that you can grieve too long.

If we aren’t careful we can get stuck and paralyzed at the intersection of grief and sorrow, ceasing to live and move forward. It’s as if we have experienced two deaths. The death of the beloved one and our own, because we’ve allowed their death to diminish and or stop our lives. If we could speak to our loved ones or friends who have gone on they would admonish us to fully live our lives, seize every opportunity and to not park at grief. When we stop living because they ceased to be we aren’t honoring them.

It’s also important not to let someone’s manner of death overshadow their lives. That sickness or sudden death was only a moment in time. Honor their lives by fully living yours. Wallowing in pity or grief won’t bring them back.

God wants you to live an abundant life. If you’re still here it means that God has a purpose and a plan for your life. I’m not saying don’t grieve. It’s a necessary part of life. And I’m not telling you how long to grieve because that varies from person to person. All I’m saying is don’t grieve too long.

In American Diner Revival the daughter told the mother We need you! I want to tell everyone reading this that we need you!! Who is the we, you ask? It’s your children, grandchildren that haven’t been born yet, the foundation you’re going to establish, the Kingdom of God, the people you’re going to mentor, the people you’re going to feed, that person you’re going to save from ending their life years from now, your coworkers, your neighbors, your community, etc. The world needs you.

Don’t grieve too long. Keep living!!!

Five of the greatest words ever recorded in the Bible are And it came to pass. That phrase has a dual meaning. It can mean the situation, test or trial you’ve been experiencing has reached its expiration date or what you’ve been hoping, praying and believing God for has finally happened.

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word pass in Hebrew is abar. It’s pronounced aw-bar and it means to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative). And it came to pass is powerful because it serves as a witness to all that the promises of God are yes and amen. Some of the witnesses in the Bible are when Eliezer prayed that God would give him success when he was instructed by Abraham to find a wife for his son Isaac, when Pharaoh finally released the children of Israel after the last plague, and when Hannah finally conceived and gave birth to a son after being barren many years. Those all signify that God keeps His promises.

Some of us have been anxious because we aren’t where we thought we’d be. The devil has harassed us and said to us that the prophecies you’ve received and the dreams and visions you’ve had will never happen for you and your family. It’s too late. So and so had xyz in their 30’s. You’re in your 50’s. Give it up. It’s too late for that. You might as well settle. I came to tell you that the devil IS a liar. Some of the greatest people of our time achieved massive success late in life. I want you to know that every promise God has spoken to you shall come to pass.

Bishop Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Choir recorded a song on his Souled Out album entitled It Shall Come to Pass. The first chorus says, Every promise, every truth, every word God has spoken to you; it shall, it shall, come to pass, come to pass. The second chorus says Every trial and heartbreak, these things come to build your faith. It shall, it shall, come to pass, come to pass.

Don’t give up no matter what the date on the calendar is or because of where you thought you’d be at this point in life. God is not a man that He should lie. Your latter shall be greater. If God said it, He shall bring it to pass. Contend for your prophecies and your dreams. The closer you get to walking in them the harder it gets and sometimes things get worse before they get better. Remember, an expectant mother goes through the most intense pain right before she gives birth.

This time next year you’ll look back and marvel at what God has done. You’ll testify that God always keeps His word and that what you were believing, praying, and co-laboring with God for came to pass. God did just what He said He’d do.

The Jewish festival, Hanukkah, began on December 6th of this year (2015) and will end on December 14th. It is also known as The Festival of Lights. Its origin dates back to around 166 BC when the Jewish people successfully rebelled against the Greeks in the Maccabean War. After the war, the Jewish people returned to their temple to rededicate it after it had been desecrated. They lit a menorah with only enough oil to burn for one day. Miraculously, it burned for eight days. The miracle was a sign that the Lord was with the Jewish people and that it was He that allowed the light to continue burning.

The world we live in is a dark place. We are constantly being bombarded with hatred, evil, racism and various types of ills. Some of the places we expect to see light and love, we don’t. We’re puzzled and surprised when we see leaders and people that we think should know better, spewing venom against certain races or individuals. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus said You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. We are instructed to let our light shine in the midst of darkness. We don’t boast because we know that we are light only because of who lives in us.

When we’ve been mistreated, our actions misconstrued, or we’ve witnessed injustice or dark deeds, it can be easy to let our lights go dim. The ego rises up and says, Why shouldn’t I retaliate, give them a piece of my mind or set them straight, etc. However, the Bible instructs us otherwise. Apart from righteous indignation, which is sometimes in order, we are instructed to turn the other cheek.

The saints of old used to sing a song entitled Let Your Light Shine. The song says Let your light shine, shine, shine. Let your light shine, shine, shine. There may be someone down in the valley tryin’ to get home. People who are in darkness are searching for the light. If we succumb to the evil around us and lose our ability to illuminate, how will they find their way?

Some of us are called to be lighthouses on our jobs or in our families. Everyone comes to you for prayer, guidance, and support. You may even notice how when you’re out in public places that complete strangers will pick you out of a crowd of people to ask for help. It’s because they see the light. The light not only illuminates; it also attracts.

Yes, the world is dark and men’s deeds are evil but don’t you become dark or lose your brilliance because of the darkness lurking about. People are depending on you and of course God is depending on you to be light. You never know whose watching you.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Sometime ago I had surgery on my feet. On the day of the operation I was instructed to change out of my clothes and put on the hospital gown that was given to me. I was given a locker to put my clothes in and was told that I couldn’t wear any jewelry or anything other than what they gave me. I was in essence stripped of everything before I could be operated on.

I was also given hospital peds or socks to wear on my feet until I got into surgery and a bonnet for my head. They weren’t interested in how my hair was done. All vanity was irrelevant to them. What mattered to the medical team was a safe and successful surgery, with nothing to thwart their success.

It would seem, since the operation was way down on my feet, that wearing small earrings wouldn’t impede their success and would be allowed. And that as long as my feet weren’t obstructed, I could wear XYZ…but that wasn’t the case. Everything except the hospital garb was forbidden. I was stripped of everything.

When God is operating on us and realigning us with His will, we are often stripped of anything that would get in the way. That could be our name, prestige, possessions, title, job, etc. We cry Lord, don’t take my stuff, but the Master Physician doesn’t dignify that with a response. All He says is, I’ll never leave you nor forsake you. He knows that if we endure the process and suffer for a season we will be made new, and end up having more than what we had at the onset.

The purpose of surgery is to correct or treat a disease, injury, or a deformity. Sometimes surgery is also necessary to cut out a foreign object like a bullet or cancer. It is done to make the patient whole. Surgery at times doesn’t seem fair, but when God operates on us He does it to make us whole and to bring us into divine alignment. God is readying you for service in His kingdom.

I heard Pastor Steven Furtick say Your frustration is determined by your fixation. Stop fixating on the process and focus on the outcome. You’ll be much stronger, better, more equipped and whole if you allow the Lord to operate on you. Let Him strip you if He needs to, so He can bring you into divine alignment.

Little People, Big World is a reality show that debuted in 2006 on the TLC Network. It showcases and follows the daily lives of the Roloff family on their farm in Oregon. The Roloff’s are very industrious with their many projects and businesses aside from the farm. What makes this family of six unique is that both parents, Matt and Amy, and one of their children, have dwarfism. Hence the premise of the show is about little people living in a big world.

The show helped to make the general public more aware of the daily challenges that come with being a dwarf. Both parents are 4’1 and their son Zach, who is also a dwarf, is 4’4. It’s interesting to note that Zach’s fraternal twin, Jeremy, is 6’1. Both twins, age 24, are now married. Matt and Amy’s other two children are 22 year old Molly and 18 year old Jake who are both of average" height.

You may not have been aware of it, but most of us have been exposed to little people way before the Roloff’s reality show. We’ve had people in our lives who were little because they were never happy for, or could not celebrate the success of others. They’re known as haters. They may not have suffered from dwarfism but they were indeed little people. You looked at them and said to yourself, They are way too big to be that little.

Bishop Bernard Jordan said Envy is when I hurt at your success. Envy is futile, because how you respond to the success and or favor of others doesn’t diminish that success or affect their lives. It affects yours and can impede your own timeline for growth and success. Romans 12:15 says Rejoice with them that do rejoice… Learn to be happy for others.

Apostle Paula Price said If you can’t recognize greatness you aren’t marked for it. Do you know a good thing when you see it or is your vision impaired? If you suffer from envy or jealousy ask God to help you in that area. There will always be someone who has more than you, whether that is prominence, possessions, or success. In the cases where you have more than others or have been blessed in some capacity, you would want others to be happy for you.

The average individual is battling things you know nothing about. Learn to promote and encourage one another to good works. Not false praise but genuine encouragement. Stop being small. You’re too big to be that little.

The late great singer, Whitney Houston, recorded the song All At Once as a single in 1984 and released it the following year. The song was written by Michael Masser and Jeffrey Osborne and is a ballad where the singer comes to the realization that the love she had is gone. It’s as if she has an epiphany and comes to herself. This awareness happens all at once.

All at once means for things to happen simultaneously or suddenly. It can be as if someone turns the light on figuratively and you’re finally able to see what has been there all along. Or it can be literal where things happen at the same time or suddenly.

Dr. Jerry Savelle is the pastor of Heritage of Faith Christian Center in Crowley, Texas. He has ministered in churches across the globe and has a heart for people who’ve been burned by religion. Dr. Savelle has a weekly broadcast which is frequented by his daughters, Jerriann Savelle Newton and Terri Savelle Foy.

On one show daughter Terri gave her testimony about how God was leading her to leave her father’s business that she had happily worked at for 22 years. Eleven of those years Terri was the CEO for Jerry Savelle Ministries. In January of 2014 God led her to leave her position and open up an office an hour plus away.

Terri said although she obeyed God leading her to leave the nest and launch out, things didn’t go as she had hoped. Her house that she put on the market wouldn’t sell and remained on the market for 7 months; she was diagnosed with skin cancer and had to have surgery; she had to take a pay reduction with her new life; she received a bill from the IRS stating that her and her husband owed over $20k; her husband’s business was hit with a lawsuit; and she and her daughter had to live in a hotel for 3 months when they relocated. All of these bad things were happening even though Terri had obeyed God. Terri maintained her resolve and decided to believe God despite how things looked. She literally spoke the word over herself and encouraged herself in the Lord.

Then one day Terri said she received a call from the IRS stating that they made a mistake and her tax bill was reduced by $10k. The lawsuit against her husband’s business was settled for $10k. Her house that wouldn’t sell in 7 months suddenly and in one day had 2 people bidding on it. Because of the 2 offers, a bidding war ensued and the price of the home went up $30k. She got a check in the mail from the gas company because it had found gas on their property years prior but had never paid them for it and the check was for $53k. AND…Terri was healed of skin cancer.

It had seemed like nothing was going right for Terri, despite being in the will of God. She made a conscious decision to remain in faith and hold onto God’s word. The Lord turned her situation around and gave her more than she previously had, all at once.

Don’t cave in to fear or be moved by what you see. Respond in faith, hold fast to God’s word, and contend for the faith. You may have gone to bed last night facing foreclosure or have a divorce looming over your head but God can flip your situation just like that. People will marvel and say, I thought you didn’t get the house, I thought you were getting a divorce, I thought they turned you down for the promotion, I thought you didn’t have the money for school, etc. Your reply will be, Yes that WAS correct, but God turned it ‘all at once!!!’

Sometimes we struggle with or question the life we’ve been given. The reason we were given it is because God knew we had within us what it took to successfully walk it out. God called us and brought us to earth for a specific purpose and intent. He gave us the life He did because He knew we could live it. Anyone else would have caved in under the pressure.

The second stanza of 1 John 3:8 says For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. The devil’s works or plans are to kill, steal and destroy. Each of us has a purpose in life and a destiny to fulfill. That’s why we should never be jealous or envious of someone else because, their purpose is different from yours. Even within families where there is a predisposition toward a certain talent, gifting, or office, we are all different and our individual purpose is unique.

Hundreds of thousands of people die from various cancers every year. It baffles me how with all the technology we have, being able to send people to the moon and being able to clone embryos, etc., that no one has yet found the cure for cancer. I’ve often wondered if the person who had the cure for cancer was aborted and if God has decided to wait and send someone else in the next generation with the cure. A generation is 40 years.

When the children of Israel murmured and complained about their journey in the wilderness, God allowed an entire generation to die out. It ended up taking 40 years to make a journey that should have taken them days. The children of Israel who set out with Moses didn’t receive the promise, except for Joshua and Caleb; instead, their children did.

One of the reasons I am against abortion is, first of all, it’s taking a life and we don’t have the right to take life. We can’t give life, we can only carry it, and so we shouldn’t take it. God is the giver of life. I am not at all unsympathetic to a girl or woman feeling trapped and like they don’t have a solution but we don’t have the right to take life. There is another way. The other reason I’m pro-life is because you never know who you’re carrying. Some of the greatest people in history didn’t come to earth through traditional means. It doesn’t matter if a child was planned or wanted. If that child is in the earth, they have a purpose.

Oprah Winfrey has told the story of how her father, who was in the military, had one brief encounter with her mother and her mother became pregnant. God had a specific purpose for Oprah. What if her mother had aborted her? Oprah owns her own network, no pun intended, and employs hundreds if not thousands of people. The world would have missed out on all of that had her mother aborted her. Thankfully she didn’t succumb to pressure and fear. God had a plan.

History is littered with great and remarkable people who, according to traditional means, shouldn’t be on the planet. Some came through one night stands, rape, incest, teen pregnancy, affairs, hookers, etc. None of that matters, because if they’re here God had a plan and a purpose for their lives. Many people have sex frequently and don’t get pregnant, so if there is life from that union there is a plan. Each life is valuable and has a purpose no matter how they got here.

You were given the life you were given because God knew you could handle it. You’re much stronger than you imagined. Live on purpose.

My sister is employed by the bus company. Sometimes when people call the company, the representatives instruct them which buses to take, and when and where they should transfer to other buses. They don’t transfer because there’s something wrong with the bus or the driver. They transfer because the bus they’re on can only take them to a certain point. Even though the bus may have been very useful at the onset and is still very beneficial to others, it’s unable to take them all the way to their destination. The bus could only carry them so far.

Today marks the last month of the year. I don’t know if it’s just me but this year seemed to go by in a flash. As we wrap up this year, some of us will undoubtedly have to get off the bus or vehicle we’re on and transfer to another one. There’s nothing wrong with the job, leader, ministry, house or career we’re on or in; it’s just that they’ve taken us as far as they can go. They aren’t able to take us all the way to our destination. Their capacity, like all of us, is limited. We don’t have to disrespect anyone or any institution, become indifferent or bitter but just recognize that it’s time for us to move on.

As believers, we go from faith to faith and from glory to glory. We are expected to continually grow, for everything in life grows. If we aren’t growing, we’re dying or atrophying. Change can be unnerving, especially if you’re adverse to it or if you’re not a risk taker. However, we must continually change, grow, develop, evolve, and stretch ourselves.

You can’t be afraid to travel light. By that I mean letting go of relationships and things that weigh you down. Some of those things we need to let go of can be people we’ve known for a long time. We need to free ourselves from them not because we no longer love them, but because they impede our progress. One problem would be is that they only view you in a certain light. They can’t see or accept who God has called you to be. Don’t fret for folks in Jesus’ hometown only saw Him as the carpenter’s son. Because of that Jesus could do no miracles; their unbelief blocked the miraculous flow and power of Jesus.

There are some people that you have to distance yourself from because of their inability to believe in you. Doubt and fear are contagious. If you’re constantly around negative or doubtful people it will be difficult for you to keep your momentum. That’s why you have to be careful about who you associate and surround yourselves with. If they aren’t divinely appointed they can weigh you down like an albatross around your neck.

God wants to move greatly in your life and position you for success, but you can’t be afraid to transfer to get where you need to be. Tell your past, No disrespect but I have to get off here. I’ve come to the end of the line and you’ve taken me as far as you can. Thank you for the ride but it’s time for me to go.

My niece, Sydney Satchell, recently and poignantly gave her testimony at her church and spoke about passing the tests that we’re given in life. Her story is one of triumph over adversity and of enduring faith. I am proud of her!! Sydney’s resolve helped our family to accept a difficult and life changing experience.

The title of Sydney’s message in and of itself blessed me. It was THANK YOU JESUS FOR THE TEST. It’s truly indicative of her attitude throughout her ordeal. Sydney maintained a posture of thanksgiving while enduring excruciating pain. Her life is an example of the scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that says In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Many of us, like the children of Israel, have had a steady diet of murmuring and complaining. Instead of being grateful for what we have and that God has brought us this far, we gripe as if we have a monopoly on pain and suffering, forgetting that our brothers and sisters are also enduring tests and trials and that we are not alone in this fight.

It’s funny how we want to be promoted without first passing the test, which is impossible. The test, or I should say the passing of the test, is what qualifies us for the next level. None of us would seek medical attention from someone who didn’t pass their state boards. You even need a license to do hair, be a plumber, sell real estate, etc. There is no promotion without passing the test. We’ll be like the children of Israel wandering around the same mountain if we don’t pass it, wondering why our lives aren’t progressing past a certain point. We’re like a car stuck in neutral. We aren’t going anywhere.

We have to pass the test, even when we don’t feel like it or we’re weary from being tested. There is no fifth grade without passing third grade unless of course you’re very smart and skip grades. There are some who will skip levels but even with that they will eventually have to pass a test. No one gets a free pass in life. There will always be tests that are indicative of the level we’re on and the level we’re going to.

Don’t despise testing for no test, no testimony; no discipline, no mastery; no prayer, no power and no hustle, no success. For some of us, life has taken the life out of us. We’ve allowed apathy and complacency to set in because we were disappointed with some of the things that transpired in our lives. We secretly said to ourselves, Why even bother? Good things don’t seem to be happening for me, but God desires for you to have good success. He wants you to try again.

In Luke 5:4 the disciples had been fishing all night but had been unsuccessful. Jesus told Simon Peter Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. Simon answered Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything but at your word I will let down the net. The disciples had been in shallow water which was common for fishermen. Jesus told them, in essence, they weren’t in deep enough and needed to go out further in order to be blessed.

Peter had to pass the test and believe what Jesus said and not go according to his senses, his weariness, or his knowledge about fishing. Jesus was a carpenter. Peter was the fisherman. Peter had to humble himself and take instruction that defied logic. Because Peter acted in faith and passed the test, they caught so many fish that their nets began to break.

Tomorrow marks the start of the last month of the year. God is yet able to do great things in your life if you submit your way to Him and launch out into the deep. Go all in no matter what has happened in the past, what things look like, or how you feel. Dare to believe God and pass this test. You can only be promoted if you pass the test. It’s time to advance.

During Thanksgiving, phone lines and FaceTime were undoubtedly filled with people calling Big Ma, mommies, aunties, fathers, and uncles for tips on how to prepare certain food items. The callers were guilty of not paying attention when they were in the house with or in the presence of the one they’re now looking to for advice. Some are also guilty of taking what their loved ones did for granted and naively assuming they would always be around or that they would always have access to their delicacies. The ones who should have instructed and prepared the next generation were present and unaccounted for. What they brought to the table wasn’t told or recorded.

To be present and unaccounted for is an oxymoron. Being present means to exist at this current time. If something is unaccounted for it means you’re unable to explain what happened to it and where it is. Its presence is not known and can’t be explained.

Filmmaker Crystal Emery made a documentary called Present and Unaccounted For: Black Women in Medicine. The film highlights groundbreaking women in medicine. Ms. Emery was initially asked by Dr. Forrester Lee of Yale Medical School to create a video honoring the first 3 African American women to graduate from Yale Medical School. After meeting these pioneering women Ms. Emery realized that their stories, as well as others, needed to be told because many people had never heard of them.

Ms. Emery stated that she felt the call to make a documentary telling the stories of unsung heroes who are certainly present but unaccounted for. The media traditionally highlights only certain African American women. Those in film, music, politics and high profile people are typically showcased. And of course we know it also portrays images of African American women who are materialistic and ghetto. Ms. Emery wanted young African American people, especially girls, to know that our people have made great strides and have been groundbreakers in the field of medicine.

How tragic it is to be present yet not be heard. Today we see many people who are anxious to hear the banter of fools. Sometimes when I look on FB and see some of these African American women who were on reality shows and acted like Mean Girls and animals, I can’t believe the number of people who follow them. People are funny. They won’t listen to those who have wisdom and common sense but will instead listen to people just because they’re popular, even if for the wrong reasons.

Be mindful of who you lend your ears to. Some people that are present need to be heard while others who are within earshot don’t.

During this season and especially on this day we celebrate harvest. Harvest time is the gathering of matured and ripened crops. It is also the result or reward of an effort towards an act or event; like the harvest of souls after a crusade or a degree conferred on a graduate. It’s important to note that there can be no harvest without a seed.

God oftentimes gives gifts in seed form. By that I mean He doesn’t always show us the full blessing or benefit of something, but yet demands our obedience. He does that to see if we will trust Him even when the situation doesn’t look promising.

If you’re a man, God may tell you that a certain woman is to be your wife. She may not have it together or have everything in order like you desired. The woman may have children from previous relationships by different men, come from a rough part of town or her background may seem a little sketchy. You might say to God, Really?? I’ve waited all this time and that’s what you’re giving me?? Little do you know that God will purposely leave out the chapter that this woman would become a successful entrepreneur who will help you get where you need to be. He gives you the blessing in seed form to see if you will trust Him.

God may be leading you into a certain business venture and you have no idea why. It doesn’t make sense to you or fit your background. You don’t have a degree in that field and you don’t even personally know anyone in that arena. Yet you can’t shake or deny God’s prodding you in that direction. You can’t see how it will work yet God asks you to trust Him and obey His leading. The blessing is in seed form.

Ephesians 3:20 says Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. God knows the end from the beginning and sees what’s coming down the line because He’s already standing in tomorrow. God sees what shall be. All He asks is that we trust and submit our way to Him.

Everything in life starts in seed form. Humans, fruit, vegetables, concepts, strategies, buildings and dreams all start in seed form. The smartphone made popular by Steve Jobs started as a seed or thought in his mind. He had to work it out, strategize how to develop it and make it an actuality -- but it started as a seed. Because Jobs’ responded in faith—yes, in faith—and followed it’s prompting, that seed has fully matured and we are all reaping its harvest. Oftentimes we only think of God using people according to Ephesians 4:11 or through the gifts of the spirit, but God used Steve Jobs as much as he uses Bishop Jakes. I don’t know if Jobs’ had a personal relationship with God, but God used him to revolutionize communication for the entire world. It all started with a seed.

Trust God to give you direction and to help you navigate through life. You must also obey His leading no matter how baffling it seems. God won’t give you the whole picture all at once. His blessings come in seed form.

Listen, trust and obey God’s leading. If you do it will yield a great harvest and you will experience Thanksgiving every day.

Growing up I remember…when we had something to discard that wasn’t the run of the mill trash, we would set it out on the curb the evening before trash day. What we considered trash may have been an old lamp, table, curio, etc. I noticed that the items we set out seldom made it to the garbage truck the next morning. As a matter of fact, the items we deemed as trash, unusable and undesirable, were often taken by passers-by within an hour of us setting them outside. Sometimes I would chuckle at how anxious people were for the items we discarded. They would hurriedly pull over or briskly walk over to survey the items. It affirmed the idiom one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

You may have been rejected or discarded like the items my family and I put out on the street. However, that does not mean you don’t have value and that there isn’t someone out there who won’t want you. It is said that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Someone will take note of your worth and be willing to invest in you to bring the beauty and the treasure that’s in you to the forefront.

Author, columnist, and co-founder of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, was rejected by 3 dozen publishers and her second book was rejected 36 times. Those publishers couldn’t see the treasure that was right in front of them. Mrs. Huffington is now the co-founder and editor in chief of the Pulitzer Prize winning Huffington Post. She is also considered a media mogul and a prolific author.

Walt Disney was an icon, entrepreneur, animator, film producer, pioneer of cartoon films, and namesake of one of the greatest amusement parks in the country. However, early on in his career he went bankrupt and was told by a news editor that he lacked imagination. Is that preposterous or what?

Michael Jordan was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Yet when he was in high school he was rejected by the high school coach to be on the varsity team. Instead of Michael letting that rejection, as well as others, deter him he allowed