Tag Archives: Dealing with problems

In the Eye of the Storm

Posted on by yolandaberry
Reply
“Be strong and of good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever thou goes.” Joshua 1:9

 My heartfelt prayers goes out to all those who was affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

There are many storms in life that interrupts our plans, our dreams, our goals, our way of life. Without warning, we find ourselves in a situation or circumstance that is completely overwhelming. We may lose a job, a home or a loved one. Dealing with lose is never easy. We do not expect it nor do we deserve it. Life just dishes us unwarranted chaos and heartache. “If when evil comes upon us, to the sword, judgment or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house; and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou will hear and help.” II Chronicles 20:9

When Jesus fell asleep on a boat in the middle of a horrific storm. The disciples panicked and awoke Him in fear that they would drown. Jesus calmly wiped the crust out of His eyes and said, “O ye of little faith.” Then he He rebuked the raging wind and He said, “Peace, be still.” And, the storm ceased. Luke 8:23-25

We may find ourselves in a similar storm in life. When the storms continue to rage and you don’t know what to do or which way to turn, remember the words of Jesus. It is possible to have peace in the midst of your storm. When you call on His name, the presence of God is always present. He always makes Himself known in the center of disaster. That’s when He can do His greatest work within us. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” II Corth 4:6-10

We may not understand why terrible things happen to us, but there is always a greater purpose. Love never fails and God always prevails rising above every storm. Be encouraged and take heart. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:18-25

“And the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send us in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid. John 14:26-27

Developing a Foundation of Prayer

Posted on by yolandaberry
3
forgive-and-let-go

Those who diligently seek me shall find me.

Building a relationship with Jesus requires daily communication with Him.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” “Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Prov 3

We may lose sight of the importance of daily prayer due to a busy schedule, but we must put God first in all our endeavors for His protection, grace, mercy and provision.

His grace is sufficient. He provides blessings to the just and the unjust, but when you are in a relationship with Him you are open to receive the many benefits and promises that He gives freely to His children.

Prayer is more than asking God to do or give you something. It’s an act of worship and praise.

It’s in the quiet moments when we acknowledge who He is that provides us peace, inner joy and strength to go through our day with high expectations. When we pray over our lives and others, we will gain a sense of inner harmony and peace despite what we may encounter through the day.

Sometimes we may feel our prayers go unanswered, but God has our best interest at heart. It must be His will not our own. Everything happens for a higher and greater purpose that we may not understand at the time, but through faith, obedience and patience, we will inherit the promises of God.

God works in seasons. Abraham and Sarah, The Apostle Paul, Daniel, Joseph, Job and Moses are examples of people who had to endure and wait for the promises of God.

I write this piece to encourage you to endure any situation, circumstance or obstacle. I am a living example of the realities of deterred dreams, dealing with extreme difficulties and disappointments, but God never fails and His word does not return void. (Isaiah 55:11)

Purpose Through Pain

Posted on by yolandaberry
4

I need to vent. Hopefully, my writing will not come across negative, but I don’t care. I need to release my emotions. I need to be free….unexhibited without judgement or opinion. I realize my pen has a powerful voice and over the years my self-expression has been full of anger, frustration and anger, but through life experiences my pen fetish has developed into hope and inspiration.

I realize God is working in and through me for His purpose. I am human. I have struggles and face many challenges just like the best of us. I’m real and raw without fear or intimidation. There is power in exposure. There is also value in identifying and being true to yourself and your experiences.

Life has a way of forcing you in a direction that you never planned. Some call it fate while others may call it destiny but in between the past and future lies the present chaos of life. It’s the choices and decisions that sums up your journey in a nutshell. Each day is like a puzzle that sometimes fits perfectly or may not come together the way you thought it would. But, if you continue walking down the path, you will begin to see a glimpse of the full picture unfold.

At this point in my life, I never would of imagined my life to flip upside down so quickly. It has forced me in a totally different direction than I originally planned. I’m forced to re-invent and re-design a whole new life for myself. I have to admit it’s more than I could of ever imagined. Somehow, I feel I am still going in the right direction even though it may feel uncomfortable. I never realized how much strength, patience, endurance and faith I possessed.

I truly believe that’s why we are here. There is purpose through pain. When we deal with our struggles, we can heal and be a light to help others through the darkness.

We also become more sensitive to other’s circumstances and conditions. I believe that’s why God allows us to go through problems. We gain compassion, understanding, wisdom, strength, endurance and faith. We become more like God’s character. His essence is based on love. He requires us to love one another, but first you must understand how to love yourself.

Through it all, the foundation is based on love. I would of never made it through my storms without knowing the love of God. Regardless of how things may seem, the things we seek in this lifetime is vanity and chasing of the wind. It will all vanish. We ourselves are vapors passing through the sands of time.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a miracle? You are. There is something special about you. Everyone fails, stumbles and makes mistakes. Life happens regardless of race, class or gender. If you feel defeated, overwhelmed, discouraged….just flat out exhausted from life, you need to take time out to reflect and see your core — your value.

Be still and take a deep look inside. If you really don’t like what you see, you can make a change for the better. Nothing is impossible with God, but it helps to know and understand His character. You are a designer’s original. He created, molded and shaped you. Stop looking to be a clone. Just be who you are. Just be.

It’s not about gaining money and status. You have richness within. Develop your character based on integrity, respect, value and purpose. When you understand who you really are in Christ, you will find peace. The world will not shake you and you will not be defined by the world. You will realize that you can’t control things. The promises of God will stand when the world fades.