Testimony T.E.A. with Lisa B.

Broken Pieces

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva / pexels.com

I love having company. Having people come visit and stay awhile in my home brings me so much joy. I thank God for the spirit of hospitality. I am grateful that I GET to make others feel comfortable, welcomed, and loved in my home. There is definitely joy in serving others. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

(I Peter 4:9-10)

A couple of weeks ago some college friends came to visit. They flew into Atlanta from California and Dallas. We went down to Tuskegee University to pick up my friend’s daughter. The weather was warm and sunny that weekend. We had a wonderful time laughing, talking, and singing on the way down to Tuskegee, Alabama. It felt like old times at Olivia Davidson Hall; the dorm that I lived in my freshman year at Skegee, Fall 1988.

The night before they left, we got in a little late. We had done a lot of running around and it was really hot that day. (in the 90’s) We had gone to the mall and to two restaurants, The Real Milk and Honey and The Sugar Factory located in Atlanta, Georgia. I was very tired after the long day, so when we got home, I told everyone “good night,” went upstairs, took my shower and got ready for bed. I needed to get my rest because I had to go to work the next day and teach my little first graders. Before going to bed, I said my prayers, and wrote in my women’s prayer/devotional journal.

Within about 15 minutes of getting in the bed, I heard a loud CRASH! It sounded like someone had dropped a glass or bowl or something. I got out of bed and walked slowly down the stairs. As I got to the end of the stairs, I glanced on the floor and saw that my white, creme, and gold vase was shattered into pieces; big and little broken pieces. My friend proceeded to tell me how it happened and her daughter apologized for breaking the vase. She went to the pantry and got the dustpan and broom. She picked up the big pieces with her hands and swept up the smaller pieces.

As I watched her put the broken pieces of my vase into the garbage can one by one, I began to think about “brokenness” as it relates to our Christianity. Words that come to my mind as it relates to brokenness include: imperfection, heartbreak, or flawed. One of the definitions of the word “broken,” includes… having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order.

We are all broken in one way or another. The good news is that we have a Savior that wants to make us whole again. He is the only one that can heal our broken state and make us whole; the state of being perfectly well in body, soul, (mind, will, and emotions) and spirit.

For it is written…

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

(Psalm 34:18)

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

(Psalms 147:3)

Let us surrender to God and allow Him to make us whole.

The goal is to be whole!

Connect to the Source

The alarm went off at 5:50 am. It was time to get up and get ready for work. I began my day by thanking God for waking me up and allowing me to see another day. After that, I picked my phone up off of the nightstand and began to log in for work. I tried a couple of times but it didn’t work. I troubleshooted by turning my phone off and waiting a few seconds and then turned it back on. I still got the same message, “not connected to the server.” I thought in my head that I would just wait until I got to work to sign in. I just needed to be there by 7:15 am. and that shouldn’t be a problem.

I began to get dressed and turned on the tv like I always do. I like to watch the news while I am getting dressed so I can know what the weather will be like as well as the traffic; especially since I work in Atlanta. The traffic in Atlanta is something else. The tv came on but the picture was stuck and I was unable to change the channel. I tried changing it with the voice command control as well as manually. Nothing worked, so I picked up my phone and dialed the cable company. To my dismay, there was an outage in my area and it affected my cable and internet. I couldn’t watch the news to see what was going on in Atlanta nor could I log in for my job with Atlanta Public Schools. I felt so lost without the connection to the internet.

That’s how it is when we are not connected to our source. We feel lost and helpless and unable to do anything. John 15:5-7 says the following words…I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels.com

To “abide” means to remain or stay connected to. As believers, we are called to abide in Him; to stay close to Him. (like a branch attached to a vine) We must continue to read and study God’s word. We must abide in His love, listen and obey. When we do this, we will bear much fruit. And when we bear much fruit, we will please and glorify our Heavenly Father.

What are some ways that you stay connected to Christ? Let us continue to stay close and connected to Him and bear MUCH fruit! HE is our source!

Shelter from the Storm

I live down south in Georgia where the storms can get pretty scary at times. You can look out of the window and see the tree limbs blowing back and forth, see the dark sky, see the crackling of lightning, hear the roar of thunder, and see the rain hit the ground really hard. The pouring rain makes the ground saturated and trees are uprooted from the ground; sometimes falling on houses and cars. I have even seen hail the size of golfballs fall to the ground during a storm in Georgia. It is an experience like no other!

While I was at work, I got an email as well as an emergency alert from the National Weather Service. The email came from the Atlanta Public Schools Office of Communications. The subject was SHELTER IN PLACE and the message was…DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, ALL APS STAFF/STUDENTS SHOULD SHELTER IN PLACE AT THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATIONS IMMEDIATELY! After reading the email message, my principal came on the intercom to tell everyone in the school to move into the hallway and take shelter.

I immediately got up and told my students that this is a REAL tornado warning and that they need to move quickly, quietly, and get in position. The children got up and started to walk out of the classroom. They knelt down and covered their heads. After getting my first graders in position, I too, knelt down and covered my head. All of the practicing that we had done really paid off. The children did an excellent job in a real life situation and boy was I glad.

As we knelt down in the hallway on the hard floor, I began to think about the word “shelter.” A shelter is a place of protection. It hides you from danger and keeps you safe. It is a place to go to find refuge during a storm. (tempest, whirlwind) While the storm was moving through Atlanta, we took shelter from the storm. We got to a safe place in the school building away from the windows and doors. We sheltered in place and stayed in the hallway for about 45 minutes. Finally, we heard the principal come on the intercom to tell us that the tornado warning has been lifted. We made it through the storm!!!

Storms will come in our lives; this one thing is true. Let us take refuge in the One who is able to sustain us during the storm. It may be a financial, physical, family, friends, or mental storm. Whatever kind of storm it is, rest assured that our Heavenly Father is our shelter. Psalms 91:1-2 says this…

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

I remember hearing a pastor say that you are either getting ready to go in a storm, you are in a storm, or you are coming out of a storm. Whatever place you are in today, let us kneel down and take shelter in Him. Let us pray, spend time with Him, and read His Word. He is our protection from the storms of life! We can make it through the storm!

Our Helper the Holy Spirit

Last weekend we had some beautiful weather in Atlanta. The sun was shining brightly and it was in the high 70’s with a slight breeze. It was the perfect weekend to plant some flowers.

After getting my workout on, I decided to stop by the store and look at some flowers. The plan was to get flowers to go in some planters that I had in the front of the house as well as on my patio. It seemed like the perfect day to brighten up my yard and around my house.

As I walked down the aisle, I saw so many beautiful plants and colorful flowers. It was hard to choose because I saw so many that I liked. I found a couple of hanging flowers to hang from my shepherd’s hook but they were hanging too high and I was unable to reach them. I am only 4’10.

I looked around and saw a friendly looking man. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind helping me by reaching and getting me the hanging basket of red petunias. He did and seemed happy to help. As I continued to look around, I saw another beautiful hanging purple plant that I really liked; that one was also out of my reach. It was on the top shelf of a cart.

As a lady approached the cart, I opened my mouth again and asked for help. She smiled and reached and got the plant down for me. She actually struck up a conservation with me regarding a shirt that I had on; my Tuskegee University 1881 tank top. After we finished talking about college and growing older, she said, “Have a joyous day!!”

After conversing with the pleasant older woman, I checked out with a cart of beautiful flowers: petunias, geraniums, marigolds and some other pretty flowers. While walking to the car, I thought about all of the help that I needed while I was in the store. That got me to thinking about this sermon series that the pastor of Transformation Church (Pastor Mike) in Tulsa, Oklahoma has been teaching about. Pastor Mike has been teaching about the Holy Spirit, OUR HELPER.

Just like those two people helped me, the Holy Spirit is ready and willing to help us. He is waiting for us to call on Him. He wants to lead, guide, and direct us in every aspect of our lives. As believers, we have access to Him.

It is written…

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18)

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4:15)

The Holy Spirit indwells the believer. Let us allow Him (the paraclete) to correct, convict, lead, guide, direct, help, teach, and comfort us. And let us say with assurance, “HOLY SPIRIT YOU ARE WELCOMED HERE!”

Contagious JOY!

It was SO good to get away from the city for a minute. I always enjoy spring break. It is a time for me to get some good and much needed rest and relaxation. No more Zoom, putting in grades, and staff meetings for a week; it’s a time for some good self-care and boy did I need it!

My spring break was very enjoyable. I went solo and spent most of my time on the beach. The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining every day that I was there in St. Simons Island, Georgia. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

As I was lying on the beach with my big blue and white beach towel, I looked out towards the water and noticed a father and his daughter. They were playing catch with a yellow ball. The daughter was probably around 10-12 years old. Her father would throw her the ball and she would catch it. They tossed the ball to each other, smiling, laughing and talking with one another. It was a beautiful thing to see and hear; laughter was in the air.

After they finished playing catch, they went to sit down on their beach towels for a minute. After sitting down for about five minutes, the father proceeded to get up and started walking. His daughter called out to him as she got up and began to follow him and say, “Hey daddy, where are you going?” He told her that he was going to the car to get a chair.

When they came back from getting the chair from the car, the girl said, “Come on daddy, let’s play frisbee.” Her father agreed to play with her. As they tossed the frisbee to each other, they seemed to be having so much fun. Watching them smile, laugh, and crack jokes just warmed my heart. Within a minute or two after they began to play, his other two children ran over to join in on the fun. It seemed like their laughter and joy was contagious! Now, I was watching all the children play frisbee with their father and it was a BEAUTIFUL THING to observe.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez / unsplash.com

While I continued to watch them play frisbee, I started to think…I thought about the Christian life and how important it is for us to draw others to Christ. We have the joy of the LORD and that joy should be contagious. Our walk with Christ should be one that exudes a sense of joy to others; especially in this world of darkness.

Oh, clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psalm 47:1)

Joy really is contagious. Let us spread joy to those who we encounter each day!

He Carries Us

I love going to the beach. It is SO relaxing. I was glad to have the opportunity to visit the beach during my week off for spring break. The week was filled with many walks to the beach. I enjoyed finding a good spot to lay my towel down in the sand. I love feeling the warm rays of the sun hit my face. What a way to relax after an almost five hour drive to St. Simons Island, Georgia.

After getting a slight tan, I decided to take a walk. As I walked along the beach, listening to the birds make noises and the crashing waves of the water, I glanced down at the sand. I noticed many footprints. There were footprints from dogs, birds, babies, children, and adults. The sand was also filled with seashells and twigs, along with many bike and wagon tracks.

5th street beach, St. Simons Island, GA.

Glancing down at the sand reminded me of a poem that I had learned growing up as a child. The poem is entitled, “Footprints in the Sand,” by Margaret Fishback Powers. The poem is very beautiful and encouraging. Toward the end of the poem, the author alludes to the fact that when you see only one set of footprints, that is when our Lord carried us.

Our LORD is always with us. Even when we feel like He is not there, He is. We are never alone. He will carry and sustain us. He promises to be with us to the end of the world. Let’s look at some of His promises…

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burdens upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Joshua 1:9

Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for, I, the LORD your God, am with you wherever you go.

Isaiah 41:13

For I am the LORD your God who holds your right hand; who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”

Thank GOD for his sustaining power. He has us in His hands!

Light in the Darkness

Recently, I visited St. Simons Island, Georgia for spring break. This was my first visit and the weather was simply beautiful. It was in the mid 70’s and the sun was shining brightly during my entire stay. I stayed at Ocean Lodge which was right across the street from the water. I was fortunate enough to get a room with an amazing view. I was able to step out onto my balcony and turn my head to the right and see the waves of the water. In the evening, I could gaze at the beautiful orange sunset from my third floor room.

St. Simons Pier Village was about four minutes from where I stayed. There you will find restaurants, clothing stores, art, boutiques, souvenir shops, and many bakeries and places to get some good sweet treats. You know I had to stop by one of those shops and buy a piece of fudge.

I stopped by the pier to look at the ocean a little closer. Looking at the water really relaxed me. I enjoyed hearing the sound of the waves crash against the shore. When I looked around, I saw people fishing, taking pictures, and I even saw a pelican that was sitting on the railing of the dock. He seemed to be used to people because he did not move as people passed by and took pictures of him.

After leaving the pier, I decided to go see St. Simons Lighthouse. The lighthouse museum wasn’t opened but I was able to take a picture of it. I began reading about the history of the lighthouse and found out that it is only one of five surviving light towers in Georgia and still serves as a navigation structure for ships entering St. Simons.

Of course, that got me to thinking. I went to my phone to look up the definition of “lighthouse.” This is what I found… A lighthouse is a tower, building or another type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for pilots at sea or on inland waterways.

Just like this lighthouse serves as a navigational type of structure, the Bible assists us in navigating life. God’s Word has the ability to change, challenge, convict, and transform us. It is God’s love letter to us. It is our “light” to help us stay on the path that God has outlined for us. Psalm 119:105 says…Your WORD is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Let us continue to study and follow God’s Word and be beacons of light in this dark world. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:16… “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Our Christian faith is based on this simple fact…

What a wonderful day to be alive! Join me today in the celebration of our risen LORD. He conquered death and the grave!

Let’s take a look at the power of the King and His conquest. In Matthew 28:5-7, we find the following words..

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell his disciples that He has risen from the dead.”

Hallelujah, He got up! And because He got up, we can get up! Let us walk in the victory and resurrection power of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

Praise God for Who I Am: A Godly Woman

By a Christ Follower from Atlanta, Georgia

Guest Post
Male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

March is Women’s History Month. I give all the Glory & Praise to our “Creator God” for creating me as a woman. In my life as a woman my journey has included some challenges. However, as I reflect on the past and present I must give God thanks for the good days as well as the bad.

Throughout my life God has kept His promises by:

*keeping me in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3)

*teaching me to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding, in all my ways to acknowledge Him and He shall direct my path (Proverbs 3:5&6)

*commanded me to be strong and of good courage, to not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

*teaching me to seek ye 1st the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things will be added unto you and to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.(Matthew 6:33 & 34)

*teaching me to not cease to pray for you, and ask that we may all be filled with the knowledge of His Will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to His Glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light (Colossians 1:9-12)

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

1st John 5:14&15, Psalm 27, 91, & 103

The above scriptures, daily praying, listening to God, meditation, fasting and the entire Bible has enabled me to be the godly woman that I am today. All good and perfect gifts come from God Making those of us who are women is a gift from God.

Hopefully you will choose ye this day whom you will serve, (if you haven’t already). As for me and my house we will daily serve the Lord. There is no way that I can live my life without allowing God to lead and guide me. As a godly woman God has taught me to cast my cares on Him for He cares for me. I am eternally grateful to Him for being Our faithful, loving, forgiving, Sovereign, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent God. He is our Savior, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Our Provider, Protector, Sustainer, joy, and worthy of all our praise.

Always Bless the Lord.

Don’t Give Up or Give In…

Guest Post

By a Christ Follower from California

Saturday’s Story for His Glory!

2020 was truly a challenging year for my daughter and I. She is a 2020 high school graduate and as you can imagine she received a lot of negative news throughout her entire senior school year. She was not able to go to Winter Ball, Senior Ball, run track, run for SGA Treasurer, be around her friends, sign each other’s year books, etc….you get the message. Well, on top of that, she had to stay focused with school work. That was a huge challenge because she got easily distracted here at home and needed to be around a structured environment. I did not give her that because I worked 12hrs a day, 5 days a week. I thought just checking in was enough, apparently it wasn’t. Her grades dropped and I did a lot of fussing. The fussing and arguments caused a lot of tension between us. To the point, she threatened to leave and stay with her grandmother, my mother. We had to go to counseling because she threatens to leave my house as soon as she turns 18 and I’ll never see her again because I was too controlling and I never listened to her. So, we went to counseling for almost the entire year, but then I found out my mother wanted her out of my house as well but never shared it with me. She was making plans with my daughter to get her out of my house and I never knew until we talked during counseling. I was devastated, I had a new job and could not focus at all. End up losing the job because of it. I confronted my mother about it and she never confessed but her actions made it clear she meant what she was trying to do and will do it again. I needed to end all ties with her….so I thought for a long time. I prayed ABOUT it all. I started taking long walks with my dogs and praying before my God to please help me in every way of my life. My job, my relationship with my kids, help me to know and understand ME, protect me and please continue loving all of me GOD….was some of my cry out to HIM.

My daughter and I continued with the counseling and I told her I love her with every being in my body. I AM here for you in every way you allow me to be. That same night, we received her acceptance to Tuskegee University. It was me, her brother, and my daughter in the car and we screamed and shouted for joy. She asked if I was happy and I said of course and I asked how she is feeling about the acceptance and she said she was ready for change. I told her I AM TOO!! She asked me if I would ever move to GA. and I told her absolutely. Little do she know it was always in my plans to move. She immediately told everyone about her acceptance and her attitude started to change. Her 18^th birthday was here and I was wondering if she was thinking the same about wanting to still leave my house because before she was ready to leave me. But, the conversation never came back up. Her focus was heading to college. Her grades improved and she was well on her way…

Fast forward….I told my daughter when I dropped her off to college, I am still here for you, but now I have to take care of me. Get my life in order. Get my career back in order because all this time, it was all about her and my son. So, if you don’t hear from me it is because I am doing me so I can continue to provide for them, for us. Through all of this, God taught me patience, resilience, unconditional love, humility, and to STOP and listen to Him. Without Him, I would have gone crazy. Out of my mind.

My daughter and I’s relationship is getting better and stronger every single day. She sees me for who I am through my actions as well as my consistency. And vice-versa. Her grades are good and she is receiving internships as well as scholarships (hopefully) for next school year. Her counselor/mentor has been a God’s send and she has helped my daughter through some rough patches. She is where she is supposed to be.

Me….I am taking care of me more and more each day and pushing back from keeping ME on the back burner. I am important too…I just have to remind myself sometimes.

GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD AND THERE IS NO ONE LIKE HIM!!