30 Days of Positive Thinking...Day One

I know for a fact that I've intentionally practiced being positive since 2009 (do not get intentionally mixed up with consistently), but I'm determined now more than ever to make a habit of speaking and thinking positively. This morning as I was watching television I felt like The Lord led me to begin a 30 Days of Positive Thinking Challenge. Paula White states, "Proverbs 18:21 reveals that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Job 22:28 says we can decree a thing and it will be established unto us and the light shall shine upon our way." If God can speak to a situation and tell the storm, "Peace Be Still", then so can I since He did say that I was created in His image (Genesis 1:27). We have not experienced what God want us to experience because we have not used the power and the authority He has given us through our words. Today I accept the challenge to live the life God wants me to live. I will no longer allow dead things to live in my life and things that should live to die in my life. Today two scriptures that I am declaring and decreeing over my life is Jeremiah 1:5 and 1:9-10. Are you up for the challenge? What scriptures do you speak over your life?

Seeking God first in all your ways

This morning I opened my Bible to start following a reading plan instead of just doing my own thing during my devotional time. The scripture for today is Matthew 6:33..."But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." (ESV) I almost slammed my Bible shut when I read this scripture because I've read it so many times but never allowed it to sink as deep into my spirit as it did today. In my mind I was like, "Really God? Is that all I have to do?" I don't know why I asked God such a silly question when I already knew that was all I had to do. Sometimes the hardest part about doing is doing what you already know to do. What I've learned these past few weeks is that as soon as I take control of my mind and allow that space to only be occupied by Godly thoughts then my life seems to flow so much smoother. It's not that everything is peaches and cream, but it makes going through the tough days much easier. I refuse to allow the devil to use my mind as his playground, see-sawing and merry go rounding while swinging back and forth and eventually sliding down the slide into my actions. I refuse to be used by Satan to glorify him. I do have the mind of Christ, and I will follow after His righteousness in all of my ways. So today I encourage you on your journey to perfectionism to perfect living out Matthew 6:33 and watch God start adding things to you. 

Prayer:

Father I thank You for being the God of a second chance. I acknowledge that I have not been seeking You and Your kingdom first. I acknowledge that sometimes I seek my own righteousness because it makes more sense to me. I refuse to continue to worship Satan by not following after You and Your righteousness. I thank You for being a forgiving God, and for forgiving me for my trespasses. I declare today that I will seek after You and Your ways in every area of my life and I thank You in advance for what will be added to my life for doing so...Amen

In His love and mine,
Tiffany

Why is being authentic so hard?

     I haven't blogged in a while because it seemed like blogging was the last thing on my mind with everything else I had to do. I believe that we focus less on the things that we should be focusing on more a lot more often than we want to admit. I have been trying really hard to be authentic, but sometimes I find it hard because I allow my pride (fear, rejection, doubt, etc...) to keep me from revealing the "real me" to the world. I honestly believe the world is tired of seeing fake people, but social media (in my opinion) encourages its followers to post/reveal the good looking things in our life. I'm at a point in my life where I do not mind revealing the not so good stuff about my life if it will help encourage and lift others up. 

     I started this blog in February, but I never shared it because I was unsure if I would keep up with it. Well, after 2-3 days I decided to stop blogging because it was taking too much time and energy away from my family. The entire process of trying to figure out how to set my blog up, share my blog, get followers, etc...was overwhelming to say the least. The same thing happens when I use Facebook. Sometimes I find myself on a role posting encouraging messages and then it seems that the few minutes it takes me to log on and post a message and log back off is time I could be spending with my family. I know that God has called me to do the things I do, but I just can't seem to get the order that He has called me to do them in correct. I know for a fact that the reason I can't get the order correct is because sometimes I find myself putting Him last. Have you ever found yourself finding every excuse to use as to why you were unable to read your Bible, pray (I mean really pray not just babble a prayer), teach your kids bible scriptures, etc... 

     I am determined more than ever to start back putting more energy into cultivating my relationship with God than my relationship with my husband, children, family, and friends. I was on a role getting everything right and when I say my life was unbelievable...I honestly couldn't believe how awesome my life was myself (and still is). The thing that made my life so awesome was that God was actually first. I started my day with Him, I allowed Him into each and every part of my day, I never made a decision without consulting Him, I became intimate with Him, I ended my day with Him, I dreamed about Him...God really directed every aspect of my life. The last 3 weeks I feel like I just haven't been able to get it right, but it was because I refused to acknowledge that God was no longer first in my life. He was no longer my "boo thang" as much as I hated to admit it. Do you sometimes find yourself afraid of admitting the truth when God already knows the truth? I don't know why I was afraid to admit it, but once I did it seems like the dust that was covering my eyes was gone and I was able to get out of the rut I found myself in.

    Sometimes we find ourselves hiding from the truth, or hiding the truth from others when what we need to do is acknowledge the truth so that we can be set free to grow and become who we were destined to be. So many people hide behind social media and only post to the world the stuff that looks good. I refuse to be that kind of person. I refuse to blog or be on facebook posting stuff when my home is out of order, my marriage is hanging on by a string, my kids are out of order, I'm out of order (lol!), etc... I refuse to live a lie in the public eye and feel like it's ok. It's not ok because I’m missing out on my chance to help set someone else free. 

     So many Christians and non-believers are hurting because no one is willing to be authentic anymore. The last six months of my life has all but fallen apart. The thing that has kept me sane and kept my life in tact is my faith in God. I can't think of any other way I would've made it through what felt like the hell I was going through. I know that God has taken me through so much because my testimony will glorify him, but why did I press pause on my quest to be vulnerable for Him and allow others to come behind the scenes of my life? I can’t answer that question, but one thing I know for sure is that I’ve pressed play again and I’m ready to be who I know I was called to be. Being authentic, truthful, and vulnerable is who God has called me to be in this season. God may not have called you to share the things that He has called me to share, so don’t judge me because I’m being who I was called to be. I challenge you today to be who you were created to be. The way to do it is the same way you eat an elephant "by taking one bite at a time, and enjoying each bite you take along the way." 

Hello world, I am Tiffany Williams, and I'm a royal woman that’s destined for royalty. 

In His love and mine,

Tiffany

The Perfect Relationship

Dear Nobody,
I’m done with you…you can’t have my thoughts, my mind, or my body. I don’t belong to you anymore. I refuse to be entertained by you. The moment I let you go I knew it was final. I’m tired of being disappointed by you. When you told me you loved me it really didn’t mean a thing. Every since I left you my life hasn’t been the same. I’ve found a new lover that loves me for me. We’re friends and we always enjoy each other’s company. I’m lost if he isn’t the first thing I see every morning, and the last thing I see at night. I enjoy waking up in the wee hours of the night to talk to him, be cuddled by him, or just listen to him. He loves me for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health. He gazes into my soul and knows exactly how I’m feeling before I even know. I know I’ll never find another lover like him, so I’m hanging on to this one until death we shall part together. Even when I take my last breath he will be right there with me holding my hand and comforting me with the most beautiful words I’ll ever hear…His Word. Dear Nobody, I've found me Somebody and His name is Jesus!

Signed, Forever His Girl

GODS ORDER = PERFECTION

I'm doing things that I've always wanted to do because I've finally learned to push past my fears and trust God with the unknown. I consult Him first and He directs me the way He wants me to go. By doing this, I've made His priorities my priorities. I knew that God didn't want me stressed and always tired from trying to do everything I knew I was supposed to do. All He wanted (and still wants) is for me to do things in the right order. Ministry begins first at home. You can't expect to excel in ministry if you're not first excelling in your home. Ministry does not come before God, husband, children, or home. I can't go out to take care of ministries outside my home if I haven't taken care of what needs to be taken care of within my home. It's so true that He equips you with what you need to do what He wants you to do.

Be Who You Are Destined To Be:

I refuse to buy things just to make me feel better. I refuse to paint my face each day to portray a fake picture on the outside when I know that God wants me to focus on the real picture which resides on the inside. I refuse to put other women down just to feel better about myself. I refuse to live my life through the lives of my kids. I refuse to get mad at my kids, husband, etc…for displaying behavior that I know lives in me. I refuse to envy other women that appear to have it all together because I know that they too struggle with some of the same issues I struggle with. I refuse to live in a world on the outside bouncing around like I’m exuberant and happy when I know that once I go back to the compounds of my own home and shut the door, close all the blinds, kiss everyone goodnight, cut off all the lights, and be still the only thing I can do is face the reality of the world that lives within. We are able to create the lifestyle that we want others to think we live, but our true lifestyle is one in which we are connected to our soul…our innermost being. True life is when we aware of what’s going on within and we accept all of the emotions, thoughts, and feelings that continues to surface and are still able to live…yes live. You see when we live a life that’s pleasing to the world we are merely dead creatures walking around earth appearing to be alive. Life, oh true life that is, comes when you connect with the Master to see who He created you to be. Who we are today is not who He created us to be before our mother’s even knew there was life in their womb. I refuse to live a life that’s pleasing to the world, modified to meet my selfish fleshly desires, and die living a lie. I refuse to not be who I was created to be…I AM DESTINED FOR ROYALTY!

Women do you even know who you are anymore? Would you even recognize the real you, or will you continue to be fooled by the fake woman YOU created? God wants the real you. When you notice the not so good things about yourself, and the things that you’re uncomfortable with accepting about you...that’s the real you. Accept the real you so that you can work to become the person that God created you to be. As long as you hide behind the crevices of a fake person you will never be able to know the real you. So today go back and find that woman that you really desire to know again…she’s ready to meet up with you. Sit down for coffee and erase everything off of your schedule because this meeting may take a while. When you get there you will find that the woman you’re meeting with today is the woman you were created to be.

In His love and mine,

Tiffany