August Prayer Challenge: Update #5

This past Sunday I was visiting a new church with my friend N.  Seems like whenever you haven’t been to church in a while (that would be me) the sermon always seems to be applicable to what happens to be going on your life. The sermon was centered around the concept of karma and getting what you deserve. The pastor started out with by putting up various internet memes about karma and then he went into his sermon with 3 main points.

• You need to realize that you will reap what you sow. The basis of the saying that everyone loves to quote is Galatians 6:7 – Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth shall he also reap.
• You need to realize that you will reap what you sow, including the consequences of your sowing. The background for this statement came from 2 Corinthians 9: 6- The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
• You need to keep on sowing good things if you want to eventually reap blessings from God. The background from this statement comes from Galatians 6: 9-10 – And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all mean, especially unto them who are the household of faith.

I want to talk a little bit about how point #3 really hit home for me. I think the folks who have been reading me for a while know the valley I have been in concerning my career. I’ve been working contract for almost 2 years and I have a specific career path that I am trying to leverage myself into. I’ve had several interviews that would grant me entry into this particular path but I haven’t been able to get over the hump. Also in that time I have seen both real life and online friends obtain jobs with relative ease, while in my mind I seem to keep struggling. I am a person, who for the most part has had things happen fairly easily for them in life, so this has been a frustrating time for me. And though this might seem minor to some, to me it is a big deal.  Jealousy and envy are powerful emotions and can consume you if you let them. So this was a reminder to me that I need to keep doing the right thing, by encouraging others in their job search, being excited for others who have found employment and not focusing so much on what I don’t have and focus on what I DO have.  Waiting is a part of life and a delay doesn’t necessarily mean a denial.

The pastor left us with the following Scripture to reference for those times when things might get a little rough, Isaiah 40:28-31:

²⁹ He gives power to the faint,
    and strengthens the powerless.
³⁰ Even youths will faint and be weary,
    and the young will fall exhausted;
³¹ but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
    they shall walk and not faint.

 

And now on to today’s prayer petitions:

• My husband who took the test for a promotion yesterday
• My friend’s sister M, who turns 40 soon and is struggling with a lack of confidence due to an extended period of unemployment.
• Anyone who is in a valley or is frustrated with their current circumstance.

Set It Off Like Vivica

I mentioned that I was going to be praying for my friend N in my last post because she is on a big project at work that is due to go live next month. She’s been working a lot of hours and is under a lot of stress.

She was telling me about how last week how she reached her breaking point with several of the consultants on the project who were constantly emailing and instant messaging her, and scheduling meetings even over the time she’d blocked out on her calendar to eat lunch and complete her personal work. The final straw came for her when a dude stalked her from one building to another then interrupted while she was in a discussion with another coworker. She snapped on him, gathered her belongings and left for the day. LMAOOO!!!

She told her manager the next day what happened and she was somewhat embarrassed but she said had reached her breaking point.

And while most folks are professional in the workplace, there comes that time where you either have to put someone in their place or just go slap off!

Has there been a time where you had to set it off at work? What happened? What was the end result?

 

August Prayer Challenge: Update #4

Go on over and read Serenity’s 23 post from today. It’s right on time because worry is what I constantly struggle with. I am not a gloom and doom type personality but I constantly have worry and doubt in the back of my mind.

I especially loved the Scripture she used at the end of the post:

“It is the Lord who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit-depressed, dismayed and unnerved with alarm]. Deuteronomy 31:8

If you have written a lot about the things that you “worry” about, the things that are unknown and you don’t know how they are going to turn out and you may even be afraid of what the future may hold, I’m going to challenge you today to NOT list any worries that you have. I’m going to ask you to think about the things that worry you and turn those statements around to include what God’s word says about your fears, worries and those things.  I would like you to fill today’s entry up with thanksgiving and assuredness that God is going before you to take care of whatever is uncertain for you.

I needed to read that today.

Today’s prayer petitions:

• E at Giving Thought, Giving Sight whose mom is having surgery today.
• T who found out her cousin was brain dead just this morning.
• My friend M, who is praying that her boyfriend M gets good news about a job opportunity that he interviewed for.
• My friend N, who is under a lot of stress at her job as she works with the rest of her team to wrap up a very large and visible project.

As always, if you need prayer email me or leave me a comment. 🙂

 

 

August Prayer Challenge: Update #3

I’m finding that the best time for me to pray is in the car and in the shower, of all places. I’m not a silent prayer so I find it’s best for me to call out my prayer petitions. It’s not pretty and I often stumble over my words but I feel the need to get them out of my head and into the air.

Here are today’s petitions:

• My friend J, who lost her brother to a gun accident on Sunday. He was a father and a husband.
• All my friends who are step-parents. It is a thankless and unappreciated job to parent some else’s kid,  in particular with a co-parent who is difficult to deal with. I’ll be praying for softened hearts and reconciliations.

August Prayer Challenge: Update #2

As an update to my previous petitions I’d like to add the following:

• Prayers for my soror L, in the loss of her mother this week.
• Prayers for my friend K, who will be undergoing radiation to rid her body of the last vestiges of breast cancer.
• Prayers for my many educator friends who are getting ready to go back to work.

Don’t forget that I would be happy to pray for you as well. Email me or leave a comment!

August Prayer Challenge

Over at Serenity23’s blog, she has issued a challenge to her readers for the month of August.

I want to challenge YOU.  Tomorrow starts off a new month, August 1st.  I know that every single one of you has needs, desires, people you are interceding for, things that concern you.  And if you are not a believer, this isn’t for you. But if you are a believer, I’m challenging you to begin tomorrow and devote 15 mins everyday to writing our your prayers in one central place so that you can keep track of what you are praying for.  Whenever you receive answers to any of those prayers, record the answers also.  Can you do this for 30 days?

She’s posting daily updates at her spot so go and check her out.

I’m a few days late in getting started but what I have decided to do is focus on a specific Bible verse for this month and then keep a running list of things I’ve praying for that are both short and long term goals.

The Bible verse that was suggested to me is Philippians 4:19.

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

What I will be praying for and hope that God will take action on:

1. For my husband to get accepted and participate in the Leadership Program that he applied for at his employer.
2. That my brother will have a very successful first year as an art teacher.
3. That my brother’s girlfriend will have a safe and successful delivery of my newest nephew Camden.
4. That my niece and nephew will have a productive school year in when school starts.
5. That my parents will remain in good mental and physical health.
6. That I can be blessed with a full time opportunity that will enable me to stop working as a contractor.

There are some other material needs that I am also praying for as well but I won’t list them here.

My plan is to update my list based on my needs or the prayer needs of other folks in my life. Email me or leave a comment if you’d like me to pray for you as well!

 

 

Currently…

This is a good way to slide a blog in on ya’ll!

ENJOYING – How quiet the office gets when it’s Friday and everyone has gone to lunch.

LOVING – the new lip glosses that I just ordered. (Thanks @3kids1036!)

FEELING – like I don’t want to do any work for the rest of the afternoon since I’m going to be mad busy all next week.

THINKING ABOUT – the couples dinner that we’re going to tomorrow evening at this place – Mockingbird Bistro. Can’t wait!

LISTENING TO: My Dirty South-Midwest Rap playlist on Spotify. I got over 200 songs, yo!

WATC HING – 24:Live Another Day..I’m behind on my episodes but I’m going to binge and catch up this weekend. Jack Bauer is back, baby!

MAKING ME HAPPY – My husband, who puts up with my shenanigans!

Have a good weekend!!!

 

 

 

Currently….

Currently: Discussing why I owe out my ass to the IRS on Twitter and getting some guidance.

Watching: This Excel spreadsheet on my computer screen that I’m supposed to be working on. I have been on this particular project for some months now and I am OVER. IT.

Listening To: “Feels Good” from the album The Revival – Tony! Toni! Tone!

Planning: How to revitalize my job search. I need to take a new approach to targeting companies I want to work for so I’ve been doing some reading and some research.

Thinking About: How I need to make doctor’s appointments for a mammogram and with a dentist.

Looking forward to: My bestie’s happy hour  for her birthday TONIGHT at this place.

Reading: Payback In Panama by Noel Hyde. I’ve read all the books in this series. The first 3 are the Russian Trilogy. Last 3 are the Cuban Trilogy.

Making Me Happy: emailing with my husband and his silly jokes that make smile. Helps to get through the work day.

Would You, Could You?

What are your thoughts about marrying or dating men with significantly less education than you? Have you ever done so? Why or why not? If so, what were the advantages and disadvantages of doing so? What advice would you give educated women who are not comfortable dating men with no college degree and/or men who work blue-collar jobs?

One Hundred One

Today is the 101^st anniversary of my sorority’s founding. It’s quite an accomplishment to see an organization founded and run by black woman still be in existence after over an century. So to all of my lovely Sorors, a big old Ooo-oop! Let’s keep on striving and serving our communities!

Sometimes I get private messages from women I know, asking me are they too old to join a sorority or thinking that it’s only something you do in college. And to them I say this: as long as you have breath in you, are willing to work hard to serve others, and desire the camaraderie of like-minded women, you aren’t too old or too “grown” to apply for membership in Delta Sigma Theta or for that matter in any other sorority you may have an interest in. If it’s been a personal goal of yours, then by all means follow through. Sorority life isn’t for every woman and it can be challenging, simply because it’s a group of humans working together who have different personalities, but I don’t regret not one single bit. The women I pledged with truly are my SISTERS. And for a person who doesn’t have any biological sisters, I’m lucky to have them.