Season Change: Seeds & Trees

For this month’s blog series we are focusing on “Harvest” and believing that our season is changing! It is YOUR season!

I posted the following statement on Facebook and stated I would expand via my blog:

God is dealing with me on something & I wanted to quickly share. I'll expand on it at a different time. Do not despise the days of humble beginnings; for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). You must first be faithful in the few, before you are ruler over many. You must first master what you have before you, before God will catapult you to your next level. For those not walking in your purpose because you want everything perfect: you want X amount of dollars saved up or a greater audience - this is your sign to move forward. Start with all humility and you will see how far God takes you. Sign up for that class, make that LLC or non-profit, ask to be on that project. Whatever it is ... START! There is nothing wrong with starting small. Remain faithful with what God has entrusted you with and you will go far.
 

Planting seeds can be a risky. You may not see the harvest immediately and get discouraged, but you need to be determined to push forward. When I posted the status on Facebook I was feeling discouraged in my career/career growth. God really dealt with me in a direct way. Although I want more with my career, I felt and complained about feeling “overwhelmed” and juggling being a newlywed, my career, wanting to advance, blogging, entrepreneurship and heavily involved in ministry. God showed me I needed to learn to manage where I am right now, keep planting the necessary seeds in this season and harvest is on its way.

Seed Principle
1 Corinthians 15:46  states “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.” This means we must first take action in the physical. Say your prayers and put your faith into action. Make those strides towards your goals. Faith without works is dead.

Life cycle of a Seed
The plant life cycle begins with a seed. The seed will sprout and produce a tiny, immature plant called a seedling. The seedling will grow to adulthood and form a mature plant. The mature plant will reproduce by forming new seeds which will begin the next life cycle. I’m here to remind you that in the areas you thought were “dry” and in “drought” … just continue sowing. God will ensure that your tree is planted and you will bear fruit.

Humble Beginnings
Do not despise the days of humble beginnings; for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). This is difficult for some (including myself). We want the blessing, but despise the process. You cannot reap a harvest without first toiling the land. This means there will be blood, sweat and tears. Each process prepares you for the next season. Every experience helps you handle the next chapter. Do not despise where you are at the moment. God is using this for your story.

I leave you with Psalm 1:3 which states “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” You will prosper and you will reap a great harvest. Don't give up!

For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.

Season Change: Sow & Reap

Hello September! For this month’s blog series we will focus on “Harvest” and believing that our season is changing! Whatever you believe for this month, it will happen. From hurt to healing, poverty to prosperity and struggles to success … GOD IS ABLE! You will reap the harvest that God promised you. It is YOUR season!

We often hear the verse found in Galatians 6:7 which says “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows”. As believers we do not believe in “karma” as this is found in other religions (Hinduism and Buddhism). We believe in God, therefore the Scripture found in Galatians 6:7 is our foundation. (Side Note: If you are using the word “karma” as a follower of Christ, this is the opportunity to start saying “You reap what you sow”)

In order to “reap”, you must first “sow”. Sowing in itself is an action step. If you think of a farmer, they have several tools to ensure the harvest is plenty. They have seeds, fertilizer, gardening tools, water and rely on sunlight. The most vital thing needed is a seed. Everything is birthed out of a seed. You cannot sow without a seed. In your life your “seed” may be the investment you make in your spiritual life or the time & effort you put in your career/school. Think of your seed as your personal investment. What investments are you making both in the natural (friends, family, school, work etc) and spiritual?

Now, automatically we go to the negative and think of “sowing and reaping” and thinks we will get “punished” for the things we do wrong. Although there is some truth to that, because everything has a consequence - we often forget about the good seeds we can plant. I cannot expect to live a peaceful life if I am always sowing strife. How do you sow strife? By gossiping, lying, getting into arguments and speaking negativity. The key thing is to sow “good seeds”. Instead of doing those things mentioned, steer away from corrupt talk, and focus on positive things. I have learned that the consequence (good or bad) may not come the next day, but it will catch up eventually.

At times we are ready to reap the harvest but did not sow any seeds! I have known individuals to be jealous/envious of the success of others, but were not aware of the investment that was made. For example, I cannot be envious of what Oprah has – she worked hard for it. Her work ethic, consistency and determination landed her where she is right now. If I want to be the next “Oprah” I need to stay in my lane, fertilize my seed (personal investment) and put in work!

Sometimes we are not prepared for the harvest because we want to skip the process. Stay the course! My mentor always tells me - “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Pay attention to your own grass, water it and fertilize it”. Listen, pack your own fertilizer for the days you just want to give up! Let the light (Jesus Christ) shine upon your grass (situation) and you will reap your harvest (success).

I leave you with this - Galatians 6:9 states “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”. If you want to reap a harvest, you have to continue to put in work – in season and out of season, when you see results and when you don’t. Even if the strong winds and hail come, you have to pay attention to your crop!

I am so excited about this month and the things I have planned for you all. Please keep visiting the site throughout the month for more. Be Blessed!

For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.

Walk In Peace: Accept Peace

Last month’s blog series was focused on “No Stagnation”.  As I prayed for what to discuss this month, I really didn’t have an answer. I started writing another series but it didn’t feel right. As we progressed through the first week of August, I’ll be honest … I was struggling with what to share. As I continued to pray, I received an overwhelming response dealing with the August Bible Challenge which is promoting peace. I realized that many of us are struggling in this area, so I decided to help shed some light and tackle this topic. This first post we will focus on accepting peace.

In order to be at peace, you must accept the Provider of Peace. True peace comes from knowing Jesus Christ and establishing a relationship with Him. If you have not made peace with God and accepted Him as your personal Savior – I truly encourage you to do so. When you have Christ, you have hope. When you have hope, you then are at peace.  We get unsettled easily because Christ is not our anchor. If Christ was truly your anchor, he would be the source of your peace.

One thing we must realize is that peace comes from God - not our jobs, getting in a relationship/married etc We make peace about people, places and things when true peace comes from Christ. Trust me, once you achieve the things you want you can still be in personal conflict. They are only fulfilling for a moment, peace from God is eternal.

Acceptance means the action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered. Christ offers peace that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 4:7 says “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.  The peace that Christ provides will guard both your mind & heart.  The first step is acceptance. First you must accept Christ as you Savior. If you have already done so, you must accept that Christ is the source of your peace. Putting your source in anything else is fatal and will only leave you disappointed.

It is also important to accept peace from others. This means if someone is extending their hand or an “olive branch” … swallow your pride, forgive and move forward. When you do not forgive others, you are held in captivity and bondage. You do more damage to yourself than others. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you (Matthew 6:14).

To close, I leave you with Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

For His Glory Only,
XOXO
Danielle J.

Gaze Straight Ahead

#VerseoftheDay I hope you have joined us during the La Belle Vie Essentials July Bible Challenge. The Scripture for today is found in Proverbs 4:20-27. My favorite verses are found in verses 23-25 which give some sound advice.

 
The key points are this:
- Guard your heart for everything flows from it
- Keep your mouth free from perversity (a deliberate desire to behave in an unreasonable or unacceptable way)

- Keep corrupt talk far from your lips
- Let your eyes look straight ahead
- Fix your gaze directly before you

If we would check ourselves and others based on the above points, we would truly be allowing God to guide us. Let your life glorify God in all that you do. Be blessed!

For His Glory Only,
XOXO

Danielle J.

Walk In Your Purpose, On Purpose!

I recall preaching this message to the group of youth within my congregation. We are intentional about many things in our lives. When we want to lose weight, we take the necessary measures to attain that goal. We work out, eat right and ensure we remain consistent. When we want to do well in a course, we study, read the textbook, hand in assignments and actively participate in the class. We are purposeful in the areas we want to see results. We are disciplined in our work ethic, careers and education. What about the things of Christ?

Everyone has a purpose, function and role in the kingdom of God. Purpose (noun), is the reason for which something is done or created. Simply put: why something exists. As a verb (action), it is defined as one’s intention or objective. To walk in your purpose on purpose, means to walk in the reason you are alive and put on this earth with intention. The body of Christ needs to move to a place where we are intentionally walking in our calling and spiritual gifts. The enemy attempts to put us in a place of fear, where we are reluctant to step out and do the things of God. We are frozen in place, while God is waiting on us to take the necessary steps.

There is a difference between spiritual gifts and the five-fold ministry. Spiritual gifts are mentioned in several Scriptures but here are some: wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, help, prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership and mercy (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:6-8). Now, looking at that list you can’t say you do not have at least one spiritual gift. If you feel you don’t – pray, fast and ask God to reveal it to you. There are also online tools such as: http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/test/adult that can be of assistance after you diligently seek Him. The five-fold ministry are the following: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.

Living in your purpose is being a servant of Christ. Mark 10:44-45 states: whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. If we are to follow the example of Christ (and we know He lived and died in His purpose), we are to be servants. We need to serve our church, community and nation and bring the word of God to the forefront.

Finally, work with what you have. You have goals and see yourself doing more, but work with what is given to you. Luke 16:10 states: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Before God gives you more, he must trust you with the smaller items first. You can’t expect to be a CEO if you have not experienced serving customers. You need to understand the different aspects of kingdom work, and the starting point is servanthood.

There are souls to be won, lives to be impacted and people in need. No matter how big or small you view your role, know who you are working for – Christ alone.

Walk in your purpose on purpose.

For HIS glory only…..
May God richly bless you!
XOXO
Danielle