Get Positioned and Prepared

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Today I would like us all to focus in on our talents, skills and abilities. I want each person reading this to focus in on what you like to do, what you can do best and if you could start a nonprofit what would be its mission.

In life we need to realize that we are not the issue, we are not the problem, and we were not created to hinder or harm others, but to love and help one another. When a creator creates something it answers an issue, solves a problem and bridges gaps to make things better.

We being created by God were also created for those very good reasons.

As we grow in life we tend to allow the circumstances and situations we faced as we matured from a child to an adult and some times decisions steer us in the wrong direction.

I would like to encourage each of you to believe that you can do all things through Christ, you can do all things that you set your mind, heart and soul too and you are an answer.

Often I ask folks what is your purpose? What do you like to do? What are your goals? What are your dreams? What are your needs? Wants? Desires? A lot of times I walk away from folks with stuck faces or that need time to think about the questions I just asked. So I encourage you to write a developmental plan so that you can position and prepare yourself at all times for what’s next. (see the links below)

A lot of adults think it’s too late to live out dreams or reach goals that they had when they were younger. A good percentage of our youth don’t have enough positive role models so they end up on the wrong paths because as adults we should be responsible for the youth and lead them in positive manner. We need to teach them that they have purpose and to tap into that purpose at an early age.

In reading the story of Esther and the story of Ruth, I read about two women 1 young and 1 middle age, both from rough paths. Esther was a young orphan who seemed to have all odds against her. Ruth was a foreign woman, widowed and broke. Both of their stories start out with a tough situation, neither knowing what their purpose was in life.

As they took steps of faith they soon discovered their purpose. Esther’s purpose was to become Queen and be in position to save her people. Ruth purpose was to marry Boaz and get in position to be in the lineage that lead to Christ. Both of these women had to step out of their comfort zones and trust and believe in God.

Both of their stories paint a picture of how God can turn our situations around when we get aligned to our purpose.

I’m not sure what God has been saying to you, but I know that you were born on purpose, with purpose and for a purpose. So no matter if you are young or old, as long as you are still breathing you have a chance to make it better. You have the chance to get your life on track. You control your next steps of your life by the decision you make on today! I encourage you to get positioned and prepared!

Be Encouraged,
Tennille L. Whittington

Prayer:
Father touch each reader and place them back on the place in which you created them, Allow them to see themselves as a leader, an answer and a solution; Remove those that hinder, harm and hurt them; Get them positioned and prepared for what’s next! IJNA

Read the writings below and start developing your plan to a better you!

Writing the Plan

http://unique-encouragement.blogspot.com/2010/01/dynamic-dreams-writing-plan-working.html

Working the Plan

http://unique-encouragement.blogspot.com/2010/01/dynamic-dreams-working-plan.html

Measuring the Plan
http://unique-encouragement.blogspot.com/2010/01/dynamic-dreams-measuring-plan.html

Moving Forward: Checking My Baggage

No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Matthew 9:16-17

In “May My Next Move Be God’s Best Move” (see bottom for link), I wanted to prepare our minds, hearts and souls to realize where we were, where we are and where we need to be.

Moving Forward

I would like everyone to begin reflecting on the people, places and things that have caused your life to become cluttered.

What areas in life do you need to rid yourself of some mess; baggage?

When I sat back at the end of 2010 and reflected on so many things that lead me up to the age of 30, I begin to see how in the past 5 years my life shifted in a new direction, but I couldn’t get all that God had for me because I was steadily holding on to unnecessary baggage.

Striving to empower and help others at all times, but in my own life in dealing with certain people, in places and with things I still had stinking thinking and I still allowed my emotions to have dominion over my actions.

In my walk with God it may have appeared I had given my full life over to Him, but in reality I hadn’t allowed Him to have every part of me. I had places I was comfortable in giving over to God, but then I had those places that I was uncomfortable in at all times, but held on to them, because I didn’t want to allow God into those areas of my life.

I’m grateful that when I finally gave in and ask God to forgive me for my disobedience and meant it, there was a sudden breakthrough. The people in my life who had hurt me couldn’t believe how much I had changed. They couldn’t understand why I had no hate towards them and how I could be around them, when they really didn’t want to be around me.

In focusing on the true matter at hand and that was living the best life that God had for me, I had to spiritually mature in all areas and I could no longer resist what God was doing in and through me, by limiting myself and keeping myself within a box in my thinking, doing and feeling. I couldn’t allow unforgiveness or disobedience to hinder me from maturing in God.

So many of us are quick to want things to happen overnight, but I’m grateful that I allowed God to take my good and make it great, as He also took my bad and ugly and allowed me to learn how to live and walk humbly in humility.

Daily driving to the subway I’m in praying mode, asking the Lord to speak to me and through. As I was riding on the subway in to work, a friend of mine had tagged me in his Facebook note.

While I was reading it, I felt as if God were speaking directly to me.
As I pray and look for a sign in a response from God and the title alone was on time.

In “It’s Not Confusion, It’s Transition” (see bottom for full note) CEO of Avail Apparel (www.availapparel.com) Anthony Brown writes:

Have you ever found yourself asking questions like, "Is this the right thing to do?" or "Is this what you want me to do God?"

If you are anything like me, chances are you have. Over the past year as my relationship has grown with God, I have questioned my actions more and more.
Most recently the decision on whether or not to continue on with my company Avail Apparel was one of the actions I questioned.

Those that know me personally know that it's been an up and down struggle with me for Avail. Late last year/early this year I was ready to walk away from Avail. Unhappy with what I thought was a lack of success based on my own personal standards, I was ready to give up.

The devil had me thinking, "you don't know enough about business", you don't have the proper support system", "and enough people don't like you." Around this time is when I begin talking to God, asking for His guidance on the whole situation. I asked Him to either remove it or improve it, in short. I knew that my passion to continue on with Avail was still there.

I was simply missing a key component, GOD!

Checking the Baggage

When I focused in on Mr. Brown's key component that he was missing from his business, which was God, I began to identify all of the areas in my life that I had not given over to God. I began to develop a new plan to help prepare me as I transitioned even further along my journey in God. I thank God for using Mr. Brown to speak to and through FB to help encourage us all along our transition in 2011 and beyond by eliminating confusion.

In order to move forward from the confusion and transition there are places that you and I need to focus on that I call the baggage claim. Similar to the areas designated in the airports. When we travel by air, we are able to carry on luggage, but excessive luggage needs to be checked and received at the baggage claim once we get to our destination.

There are 3 key areas that I would like us to focus in on as we journey forward allowing our next move to God’s best move in our lives that make up our baggage claim. The areas are thoughts, actions and emotions.

As I blog daily I will be focusing in on how to change our way of thinking, changing our ways of doing, and changing our ways of feeling.

As we think of the baggage claim area and how it contains the items we could not carry onboard the journey with us as we travel from our starting point to our destination; I want us to see it as your next move with God only will consist of what He allows in your carry on in your transition and the excessive luggage is your confusion; baggage.

Although the baggage may travel in another section of the plane, it is in excess of what is allowed to be carried on with us. Although we are able to redeem our baggage at the end of our flight, I want us to focus in on redeeming it only when necessary to be used by God in transparency.

We will be leaving our baggage in the baggage claim in 2011 and beyond. We will not get to our destinations and pick it up each time we journey forward. We will instead do as the Word says and cast our cares, in this case our baggage on Him. It will remain with God in our assigned baggage claim.

See there will be times when you and I tap back into that baggage because the baggage contains some of the good, bad and ugly experiences of yesterday in our lives, but has no permanent place in our tomorrow. We will need to revisit it at times in order to be transparent before others, but not to possess it.

As we journey along this year as necessary we will learn how to allow God to take us back down memory lane a time or two as we reposition ourselves for His will for our lives.

All in all He will be the owner of our baggage and we will just have access as needed to be transparent.

So I encourage you to forward this blog on to others that you would like to grow in the things of God as we change our way of thinking, doing and feelings.

We will journey from Genesis to Revelations tapping into the Word of God and breaking it down so that a child would understand how to not only read the Word, but also understand and live the Word.

As I strive to give myself away to God I ask that each reader keep not only myself in your prayers but all the readers around the world of the Word, all those who seek a deeper relationship with God, all those looking to serve God more, and all those in need. May we all be in the will of God for our lives; living out our God given purpose.

I challenge you today to position and prepare yourself for God’s best move in this season! It’s time we make go from good decisions to God decisions over our lives!

Be Encouraged,

Tennille L. Whittington

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Father as it is written in 1 Peter 5:7 on today we cast our baggage on You; Father no longer will we play the game of tug of war with You on the things that confuse us and no longer has a place in our lives; Father whatever You see in us, on us or around us that is not of Your plan and we journey forward I ask that You remove it from us; Father send forth more people, places and things that are apart of the transition; as we transition from old to new; forgetting what is behind us, we press forward towards the goal in You! In Jesus name, Amen

May My Next Move Be God's Best Move by Tennille Whittington
Read last blog here:http://unique-encouragement.blogspot.com/2011/01/may-my-next-move-be-gods-best-move.html

It's Not Confusion, It's Transition by Anthony Brown
Read more http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/note.php?note_id=10150369352360364

May My Next Move Be God's Best Move

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called... Ephesians 4:1

Today I would like to focus in on moving forward in a new way of thinking, doing and feeling in 2011 and beyond. I’m believing God for an explosive change within the Earth of more people living as His image and likeness and no longer playing church or with the Word or using it when they are in times of trouble, but applying it at all times.

Moving forward in this new year in a new frame of mind I would like to tap into your thoughts with a prayer that will reposition our thinking, doing and feeling on today.

Let’s us pray; Father in the name of Jesus I come to You just thanking You because You are; Father there is nobody greater than You; May each person that reads this blog begin to think of themselves as You have created them to be; May each person begin to speak over themselves daily and encourage themselves in You; May Your Word be taken from the pages of each book of the Bible and implemented in our daily lives; May we no longer just seek the Word when in times of trouble, but make it apart of our everyday lives; May each person reading this message right now begin to experience overwhelming joy, peace and love from You! IJNA

Before this year started I begin to look back over 2010 and I saw how it started off, how it progressed and how it was ending and I made up my mind that my next move towards 2011 would be God’s best move in my life.

I saw how in the beginning of 2010 I was transitioned to a new level in all areas of my life at a new level in God, but as I transitioned I took along baggage that had no place in my future.

Throughout 2010 I stepped out on faith in some areas, but I allowed what I saw and heard to develop doubt about the promises of God. See like the story of Jonah, God had charged me with an assignment and although I already knew the end result and the story of Jonah, I decided to debate with God. I tried to hide in plain sight. I tried to focus on my own assignments versus God’s assignments for my life.

I kept my mind busy and cluttered because I continued to hold on to the baggage of things outside of the will of God for my life.

So if you know the story of Jonah, then you know that God didn’t let go of me. He pressed me day after day and charged me to move forward in Him. So I fasted 40 days and nights and I decided to step up to the challenge and repent for my disobedience as I moved forward in God in several areas of my life.

As we journey forward in 2011 and beyond I encourage you to get yourself positioned and prepared to change your ways of thinking, doing and feeling.

It’s time we trade in our good decisions for God decisions. It’s time we get rid of stinking thinking in order to receive the more from God.

I challenge you today to position and prepare yourself for God’s best move in this season!

Be Encouraged,

Tennille L. Whittington

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Father I come to surrender my all to You; Father the Word says in Hebrews 4:16 come boldly to the throne of grace; Although the odds are stacked against me I choose to live out in Your will 100%; Not part of me, but all of me; Use me Lord I am available; Father I ask that You change my way of thinking, doing and feeling; Father reposition me as You prepare me for Your best move in my life in this season! In Jesus name, Amen

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: I Am Fierce, Favored & Fabulous

Psalms 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Today I would like to encourage all of my sisters to encourage yourselves daily. As we celebrate women all across the land this month I wanted you to digest and believe that You are fearfully and wonderfully made! In fact you are fierce, favored and fabulous!

In praying for a message to encourage us all to move forward I was lead to Psalms 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. God also lead me to Mark 5 and dealt with me as I encourage women daily to utilize the story of the woman with the issue of blood.

She too was fearfully and wonderfully made! She was fierce, favored and fabulous! Her story is used to help loose women all around the world!

In Mark 5 there is a story of a woman with the issue of blood; the bible does not describe out her life entirely it just focuses on her issue.

Today let’s focus on our issues, so we can stand up, step up and show up! God has a plan for our lives and as women we need to build up our self esteem and take authority over our lives. God created us on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.

Daily our situations seem to get the best of us. Some of us carry more weight than others; some of us carry more hate than others. But on today I declare that we all be made whole and that God shows us how to love one another, but before He can we must first make the effort to be made whole in Him!

I would like to think that the woman with the issue got sick and tired and fed up with the issue to the point that she exhausted all means of help in her own strength and had to seek out the Source, she heard about Jesus, knew He was headed her way and pressed through her sickness; weakness and frustration in faith to touch His clothes, not to speak to Him, not to touch Him, but she believed that if she just get close enough to touch His clothes she would be healed.

Also mentioned in Matthew 9:20-22 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

As you read this know that I have been praying for a sign, a wonder and a miracle for all women. We all go through an issue or two daily that we can compare to the story of the woman with the issue of blood. What seemed to be incurable in her life to others was healed in an instance by the Lord. It was all in accordance to the strength of her faith. She believed in the One who they called Prophet, the One who they called Lord, the One who was the most hated, at the same time He was the most loved!

I would like to think that one moment when she was sick and tired of bleeding, and sick and tired of praying, and sick and tired of being an outcast, and sick and tired of being alone, and sick and tired of people talking about her and her condition that she took a stand to give this man named Jesus a try.

I believe that in a moment when she felt sorry for herself God spoke an encouraging word to her and said today my Son, the One who I have sent will cross your path today and it's up to you to get to Him and in an instance you will be made whole.

Although your situation is a little different I want you to have her type of faith. I would like to believe that that woman crawled, begged and cried her way through the crowds of hundreds to touch the Holy One. Today as I pray with you I say to you may your faith make you whole! I have grown to know that our situations are some times not a result of anything we think they should come from, but it is an issue that has taken over the lives of God’s people and is in us to be transparent to help someone else and with faith we can seek God in destroying it!

It’s time to set aside all things that are not of God in order to receive all the things He has in store for your life. It’s time to forgive yourself and forgive others, so you can free yourself from unforgiveness. It’s time to allow God to heal your broken heart. It’s time to be set free from the soul ties, drama in the workplace and relationships! It’s time to get your finances in order and get back on track to live the life that God has called you to live and be all that God has called you to be!

Sister you are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are fierce, favored and fabulous!

Be encouraged,
Tennille L. Whittington

Let’s us pray:

Father I come to You on today and I take authority of my existence; The reason in which I was created! Father I believe I was created with purpose, on purpose and for a purpose! Father I position myself daily to take the dimmer off my life, so that You can shine in and through my life. Father change my posture and position in order for me to represent myself accordingly to Your will and way for my life! Father may I arise and shine on today and know my worth and be all that You have called me to be! I believe it’s my season! I believe it’s my time! I am fearfully and wonderfully made! I am fierce, favored and fabulous! IJNA

Naked and Not Ashamed

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

I would like to continue focusing on our determination. I pray that each of these writings uplift your spirit. Last time we talked, we focused on being in dependence versus our independence. In this writing we will focus in on being naked and not ashamed.

Let’s start off by defining the term naked & not ashamed.” My definition is life before we knew any wrong. The word naked meaning without addition, exaggeration, or excuses; not concealed or disguised; open to view; manifest, pure and/or plain. The word ashamed meaning feeling shame; distressed or embarrassed by feelings of guilt, foolishness, or disgrace.

There once was a time in all our lives were we did not know any wrong. We operated off our spirits, not yet knowing life’s situations would allow our flesh to dominate our decisions. It was a time when we had no worries, no struggles and/or stress did not live within. It was in our beginning, when we were first created. We were born into this Earth naked & not ashamed.

In the beginning of creation with Adam & Eve, they didn’t know of any wrong. They both were born into this world naked and not ashamed. It was not until they went against God’s commands that they both became clothed (unwanted layers) and ashamed. Although as a result of their disobedience, we all were born into sin, but that still does not determine our destiny. In this writing when you think of being clothed (unwanted layers) I want you to think of each layer of the clothing as our life’s experience.

When we were born, we knew no wrong. Everything we grew up to know, we were taught. We didn’t know right from wrong, until we were given rules or corrected. As we grew older we tend to face some challenges that added unwanted weight to our lives. With every bad decision, every bad moment, situation or challenge we grew weaker and became ashamed, no longer was our spirit naked. We allowed our life experiences to build up our flesh and block our spirit from growth.

Each experience began to control our spirit and we began to change our outward appearance. At this very moment, picture yourself with a shirt and pants on, which will be the visual of our first bad experience. Then picture yourself with 2 shirts and 2 pair of pants on, that’s the visual of 2 bad experiences. Now picture yourself with 3 shirts on and 3 pair of pants, that’s the next bad experience and so on and so forth. As you visualize, you see that each time we go through negative experiences; we add more layers on our lives. If we were to actually walk around with all those clothes on we would look foolish. So imagine how our spirits look as they are covered with so much weight of our flesh.

In actuality what happens in our lives is that our flesh becomes dominant over our spirits. We tend to allow our inner pain to be displayed on the outside. Whether we believe it or not we all have been ashamed at one point in our lives of something. No matter how painful that experience may have been and no matter how much we forgave someone or thought we forgot about it, some of us are still living it.

I want us to go back to our first day of creation and I want us to strive to remove those unwanted layers to present, out of our lives. So for my sisters and brothers walking around with all those layers of clothing smothering their spirit, it’s time to take them off!

It’s time to let go of those past experiences that are holding us back and be able to walk forward in the promises that God has for us all. Let’s let go of the past negative

• Unhealthy relationships
• Financial issues
• Sickness
• Addiction
• Broken marriages
• Sexual abuse
• Physical abuse
• Verbal abuse
• Being a victim
• Bad Parenting
• etc (the list goes on and on to what it is we know is holding us back)

Despite whatever you may be going through today, or have been through we will pray for a release. Now is our time to walk back into our path of destiny according to God’s will for our lives naked and not ashamed. No longer will the past have a hold over our lives. No longer will guilt lead us into stress. No longer will our wrongs, have us down and out. No longer will we not faced our problems, situations and circumstance head on! No longer will we allow ourselves to be deceived.

In the beginning God created man in his image and likeness and so on and so forth. So when it became our time, we were created the same way. We hold in our possession the same promises that were giving throughout his Word. We will walk this Earth today naked and not ashamed. We will look everything in the face with courage. We will not be discouraged.

Today I challenge each one of you to take off all those layers of clothing off your flesh and allow your mind, body and soul a chance to breathe in order to let your spirit shine.

What is behind us we can not change, but what is before us we control. Paul writes to us in Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Prayer for Today

As it is written in Matthew 18:19 …I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Father we come to you today and we stand in agreement in prayer. Father we ask that you put else back to our first day of creation, when we were “Naked & Not Ashamed”. Father we ask that you teach us to strive hard and reach high for all things for our lives according to your will for our lives. Father we ask for discernment of all things in our lives. We ask that you teach us how to use our lives in other to bless others. Father we ask you to show us our way. Father we pray for strength, guidance and motivation. Father we ask that we walk in the promises that you have given us all. Father were we are weak, please make us strong. Where we are in denial, Father please teach us how to apply your word. Father you know what we need to pray for our lives, please show us so we can each day. Father build our spirits and tame our flesh. We thank you for your love and mercy.

In Jesus name, Amen

Be Encouraged,
Tennille L. Whittington

In Dependence

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

I want to focus on dependence. As we all know we are all guilty of speaking our independence, when in actuality we are in dependence with something or someone at all times. Recently I had the opportunity to have an out of body experience that we have been praying for, for some time now.

I got a chance to see what areas in my life where weak and what areas had strength. I saw that no matter how good I’ve done, there is always opposition to come in contact with and in order to sustain that opposition we must be grounded in the Word and have a developed spirit.

I saw how easy it was for me to slip in and out of my past life. I saw how my decisions in my life affected others all around me. In life we must stay focus on where we need to be, we must keep in mind that someone is always counting on us. Regardless of how much success we may have, we must know we didn’t get there alone. Society has us focus on independence when really we are in dependence.

When there is no one else there to help us, teach us, lead, us or for us to lean on we always have God! There is not a moment that goes by that He does not want the best for us.

Just sit back and think about all the times you made it to see another day, you overcame a challenge, your money stretched to make ends meet, you got that job that you were told you weren’t qualified for, your result was the opposite of the negative doctors report, etc. Those are some of the many examples of how we receive from another source, we cannot do it alone!

I took my children camping in the woods in Georgia a couple of years ago and the experience was life changing. We went hand in hand with nature. God open my eyes to see that without all of the technology today we could still survive. He showed me how he has provided for us as people out in the wilderness.

This reminded of many stories I read throughout the Bible. When we were out in the woods the experience was mind blowing. I never imagine being on a camping trip, it’s has never been my cup of tea.

We slept in tents on the ground with no electricity. We got caught in a bad thunderstorm and all I could think was my children were going to get hurt, but through it all He kept us. We were in our tent as the loud sounds of thunder and lights of lightening were over our heads. I’ll be honest I was shook and the first thing I did was prayed and in a still soft voice all I could hear is I will see you through this storm.

My life flashed before my eyes. I had a chance to reevaluate my independence while out in the woods away from my reality and actually focus on being in dependence. We face so many storms in life and yet we still stand tall. In the end when we make it out we speak our independence, instead of reflecting the person or source that assisted with our success. We need to focus more on how we are in dependence vs. independent. Don’t allow others to bring you down; we all should build one another up. We at all times should work as a team; no one person can do it alone.

Today I challenge you stand tall through your storm and look at your opposition in the face and step to your next level in success! No longer let selfishness, circumstance or challenges determine your outcome! We are the only ones that know where we need to change in order to move up into our next level and build up others all around us. Today is your day!

Prayer for Today

Lord we stand in agreement in prayer and thank you for seeing us through our storms. Lord we ask that you continue to guide us in the direction according to your will for our lives. Lord we ask that you go before us and make our crooked ways straight and teach us how to focus more on building up our sisters and brothers. Lord we ask that you send forth our angels to guide us along our paths. Lord we ask that where we are weak, you provide us with strength. Lord we ask that you strengthen our spirits and guide us into building better relationships. Lord we cast all our cares upon you and thank you for your forgiveness and everlasting LOVE!

In Jesus name, Amen!

Be Encouraged
Tennille L. Whittington

The Responsibility of Parents

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Prov 22:6

I want to touch base on responsibility. So many times in our life we are quick to blame others for our lack of being responsible. When something goes wrong in the home, majority of the time we start to feud with our love ones. When something goes wrong on the job, sometimes we point the finger or get uptight with a coworker. It takes a lot to be the bigger person in an argument. It’s even harder when you are in a disagreement with someone who has pointed out where you lack responsibility. I applaud both single mothers and fathers who step up to the plate and take on the extra responsibility due to the lack of parenting done by the other parent. Also I applaud the family and friends who help in parenting where they can.

So many children today go without having a healthy relationship with both parents due to our lack of responsibility as adults being able to let go of the past and move on into the future. We need to hold ourselves accountable for our actions regardless of our emotions. No longer should you make excuses for things of the past. The past cannot be change, but the future we still control. As parents we need to build stronger relationships with the other parent, despite the situation. We need to stop talking negative about the other parent in front of the children. We need to be positive in order for our children to learn how to be responsible. We need to teach them more about who they are and be apart of every moment of their lives.

Just imagine as a child how you felt when your parents fought,
when your mom and dad split,
when your dad wasn’t around,
when your mom was too busy,
when grandma had to step up and take care of you,
when dad missed your games,
when mom missed your major accomplishments,
when you pretty much had to raise yourself,
when you didn’t have the things you wanted,
when you got tease because of your upbringing,
etc

Well children of today, lack responsible parents as well. Schedules are too busy for family. Work pressure is too heavy, you feel you owe more of your time to your job, than your love ones. Friends seem to be more important than your loved ones. So there’s a new man/woman in your life, your kids still come first. We need to make sure we are using our time wisely and that our love ones don’t suffer as a result to our actions. To me nothing in life is a mistake; I believe everything good or bad is a learning experience. You cannot have a testimony if you haven’t been tested!

For those experiencing bad breakups, divorce, financial problems, single parenting, loss of a job, etc. know that you are not alone. It’s a big population of our world that is going through similar things. In order to recover and be successful in getting a fresh start, you must first recognize where you went wrong and make it right. Don’t allow yourself to go back to your childhood and continue to blame someone else for things that are happening in your life. We need to learn how to take those situations and be able to grow from them. Holding on too them and using them as an excuse only holds us back.

If you have an unhealthy relationship with anyone I challenge you today to let go of the past and walk into change in your future. You will never be able to fully tap into all the things God has in store for you if you continue to hold someone else responsible for your actions. We are our worst enemies. We need to be the bigger person in situations and point out where we went wrong and make those situations right. I know it may seem hard, but challenge makes us strong. Seeing is not believing! We must stand on our Faith and ask God for direction at all times.

Prayer for Today

As it is written in Matthew 18:19 …I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Father do something new in us and in the lives of our children today we come to you for direction. We come to you Father for You to guide us through this storm. Father teach us how to grow from our past and walk into the things of God in our future. Father You said You would go before us and make our crooked places straight. Father we ask that You teach us how to be more responsible. Father we ask that You show us the areas in our life in need of change today. Father help us grow into the strong men and women of God you created us to be. Father we pray over our children today and ask that you guide them along their walk. We ask that you protect them from all things that will hinder them along their path.

In Jesus name, Amen!

Be Encouraged
Tennille L. Whittington