Cotton Candy

I guess most people are wondering why I talk about God so much in my writing’s. Well, I talk about Him so much because He has been a tremendous asset in my life. He has saved me from myself. Even when I make mistakes God is still with me cheering me on to get it right. For example, I had a situation happen wherein I became irate. I completely loss my peace and became offended. After I defended myself I felt justified and terrible at the same time. I knew that I overreacted and acted out of hurt.

So, I asked the Lord to show me my faults and show me through His word how I should conduct myself in a situation where I feel offended or hurt. I ended up reading 1 Peter 3: 10-12 (Amplified), which says: ¹⁰ For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit).¹¹ Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]¹² For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].

After reading this scripture I made a decision to repent before God and apologize for my actions to the person that offended me. I realized that I have to pursue peace at all times no matter what the situation is and how I am feeling emotionally. Even though, I was corrected through this scripture I know that God still loves me and I am becoming a better person because of the correction. In Hebrews 12: 6 & 7 (Amplified) it says, ⁶ For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.⁷ You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?

Therefore, I will end this the way that I began. I talk about God so much in my writing’s because He saves me from myself and continues to save me. He is truly a good God. If you don’t know the Lord, then I implore you to get to know Him. He is gentle like cotton and He is sweet like candy. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

God Bless,

CG

Twitter@CMGlover05

One Sixteen By Trip Lee Feat. KB & Andy Mineo- Bragging about God's Goodness!

Trip Lee, KB, and Andy Mineo are on iTunes!

Scriptures:

³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Psalm 145:3 (KJV)

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8 (Amplified)

⁹ Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

Romans 10:9 & 10 (Amplified)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16 (KJV)


If you like this blog leave a comment and check out these posts below:
Picture Perfect
Inside Out
Just Breathe

Living Beyond Me

When I think about the women in the bible I think to myself, “Wow, they were really strong in different ways.” Most of them didn’t take any nonsense. One woman that stands out to me is the woman with the issue of blood.  This woman had the issue of blood for 12 years and she spent all of her money trying to find a cure for her ailment. Then, she heard that Jesus was coming to town. So, she was determined to meet him. She was taking a huge risk of going to see Jesus because she was considered unclean, due to her ailment. Those who were considered unclean were stoned to death in those times. However, that didn’t stop her from going to get what she was seeking, which was healing.

When she arrived at the place where Jesus was there were a multitude of people surrounding Him. So, the woman pushed her way through the crowd to get close enough and touched the hem of His garment. When the Lord felt His virtue leave His body, He stopped and asked, “Who touched me?!” The woman was trying to get away, but she revealed herself in shame. She told Jesus about her ailment and that she loss everything because of it. But, the Lord said, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole” (Mark 5:25-34 KJV).

In Romans 8:31 (KJV) it says, “If God is for us, who can be against us” right? However, this scripture sounds great to say, but I sometimes have difficulty applying it to my life. At times I have difficulty putting my feelings aside and running with truth. But, after reading the story about the woman with the issue of blood I am having a change of heart. I can’t imagine what she went through, but I know that she had to push aside all of her feelings of fear and anxiety to get to Jesus that day. She had to activate her faith and trust that it would give her the outcome that she was seeking. Therefore, I am choosing to live beyond me. Meaning, I am living beyond my fears, my emotions, my thoughts, my opinions, and all of the things that are trying to hinder me from moving forward in peace and obtain victory. After all the bible does say, “If God is for us, who can be against us”. That means I have the liberty of trusting God to help me get to my destination … So, what are you living beyond?

God Bless,

CG

Twitter @CMGlover05

Before you go, please click the video below to hear a song by Bandon Camphor & One Way called “Chasing”. In my opinion, it’s about trying to do things your way, but you realize that God’s plan is better for you. Therefore, you relinquish your ideas and follow the Lord. ~Live Beyond You!

Brandon Camphor & One Way is on iTunes!

Scriptures:

²⁵ And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

²⁶ And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

²⁷ When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

²⁸ For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

²⁹ And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

³¹ And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

³² And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

³³ But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

³⁴ And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Mark 5:25-34 (KJV)

³¹ What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]

³² He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely andgraciously give us all [other] things?

³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]

³⁴ Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?

³⁵ Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity anddistress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

³⁶ Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷ Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors^[m]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things^[n]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

³⁹ Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39 (Amplified)

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13 & 14 (KJV)

Just Breathe

 In the bible it states, ¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).This means that if I struggle with some things from my past, then I have to understand that I am not that person from my past anymore because the bible says that I am a new creature in Christ. Furthermore, God has given me the authority to overcome my situations and circumstances (Luke 10:19 , 2 Peter 1:3, Amplified). For example, I was writing a paper for one of my classes. While I was writing I started getting anxious. I used to suffer with anxiety before and after I became saved, due to me not knowing what the bible said about this matter (Philippians 4:6 & 7, Amplified). As a result of the anxiety, I couldn’t find the research that I was seeking to add to my paper.

You could only imagine all of the things that were going through my mind, due to being stuck and not locating the information that I needed. My mind automatically jumped into the abyss of negativity. I started having feelings of anxiety, anger, doubt, and my mind was saying that I couldn’t complete the task. I knew that if I stayed on this train to Funky town, then it would lead to grief and self-pity. So, I had to physically shift my mind and jump on the train of the Holy Spirit. I had to start bringing back to my remembrance what the bible said about me. I started quoting scripture’s, such as “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, KJV) … “I will not put any confidence or dependence on what I am in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3, Amplified) … “I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me” (Romans 8:37, KJV). The bible tells us to renew our minds (Romans 12: 1 & 2, KJV). Therefore, I chose to do as the bible said. With me renewing my mind I found out that the word of God is true and I started calming down.

After the episode took place I prayed and went back to work. As a result of me calming down, I had a clear head and found the research needed to complete my paper. This happened because I made a conscious decision to believe that God was still n control of the situation no matter how I felt. But, I had to start speaking differently about the situation in order for things to change (Proverbs 18:21, KJV). If you are dealing with mental anguish or things that go against the word of God, then know that this is not God’s will for your life. Jesus died on the cross so that you and I can have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10, Amplified). Lastly, the bible also states that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Amplified). This means that you don’t have to be the victim and succumb to your feelings anymore. God is love and He loves you (1 John 4:8. KJV). So, again if you are feeling overwhelmed or having feelings of hopelessness, just breathe and let God breathe His breath of hope and life into you.

God Bless,

CG

Twitter @CMGlover05!

Check out Lecrae’s video called “Tell the World” by clicking the video below. It is based on the scripture 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states  ¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Enjoy!

Lecrae and Mali Music are on iTunes!

Lecrae Feat. Mali Music “TELL THE WORLD”

Scriptures:

¹⁹ Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.

Luke 10:19 (Amplified)

   

³ For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [^[d]full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

2 Peter 1:3 (Amplified)

⁶ Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (^[b]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

⁷ And God’s peace [shall be yours, that ^[c]tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall ^[d]garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6 &7 (Amplified)

³ For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence ordependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances

Philippians 3:3 (Amplified)

1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12: 1 & 2 (KJV)

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

¹⁰ The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it ^[b]overflows).

John 10:10 (Amplified)

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).

2 Corinthians 3:17 (Amplified)

⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

⁹ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:8-10 (KJV)

Picture Perfect

Now that I am in my early thirties I have been asked the infamous questions, which are “So, are you dating? ... Are you seeing anyone? ... Do you have a boyfriend? … When are you going to settle down?” My response usually is “I am in graduate school right now, so I don’t have time to think about that or I just haven’t met a nice person yet.” But, my real answer is I am waiting on the right person that God has for me. I am not willing to settle for anything less than God’s best. I know that may sound unrealistic or that my standards are too high. But, I am confident that God will deliver His “goods” on my behalf. Nowadays people aren’t willing to wait for their mate. They usually just want to “mate” with any… thing that comes their way.

In my opinion, this is why there is so much divorce in the world today. People treat marriage like they are buying candy from a candy store.  They go in and see all the different shapes, sizes, and flavors and they purchase the candy that appeals to them. Then, when they get home and unwrap their candy, they realize that it wasn’t the flavor that they really wanted, or the flavor that they purchased tastes terrible. So, they throw it away and get something else another day. This compares to marriage because people who rush in or get tired of “waiting” usually ends up this way. The husband or wife show their true selves after the wedding day and after a while they both can’t compromise anymore or they get tired of one another. All of a sudden the “gift” that they’ve unwrapped from God is no longer a gift, but a headache. So, they see divorce as an escape and they start searching for another mate.

This is why I choose to wait patiently on the Lord to: (1) help me understand what I really want in someone else, (2) prepare for my mate , and (3) learn who my mate is when he comes by understanding his character and being content with him as a person. If you are willing to wait and let the Lord develop you in the area of marriage, then the picture that you have in your mind will line up with the image that God already has for you. Therefore, your picture will be perfect in His sight!

God Bless,

CG
Twitter @CMGlover05

Scriptures:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

²² Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord.

³³ However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [^[f]that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and ^[g]that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].

Ephesians 5:22&33 (Amplified)

²² He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 18:22 (Amplified)

¹⁴ House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord.

Proverbs 19:14 (Amplified)

² Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention.

Philippians 2:2 (Amplified)

¹² Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

Jeremiah 1:12 (Amplified)

⁶ Do not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.

Matthew 7:6 (Amplified)

Adjustments

When I am growing in the things of God or just growing in my personal life I find it very uncomfortable. The truth is I don't like change. I like things to stay the same. For instance, my house was remodeled a couple of years ago. During the renovations I was complaining the entire time. I was complaining because (1) I didn't think renovations were needed. I thought the house was fine the way it was, (2) I didn’t know renovations were going to take place until the last minute, so I felt unprepared, and (3) I didn't know what the end result was going to be. However, with all of these thoughts running through my mind I had to get comfortable with the fact that change was taking place. Now, the house is complete and it is breathtaking. It was worth the adjustment that I had to make for the short amount of time it took to remodel.

Having this experience helped me realize that the change God places in my
life happens for my benefit. It helps me to become a better person. Even, if I
don't understand what God is doing from the start I have to trust and believe
that He won't lead me in the wrong direction. Being able to trust and believe
God develops with maturity. I have to be mature even when things don't
necessarily go my way. I also have to be open and understanding for God to make
the changes and get the end result.

God Bless,

CG
Twitter @CMGlover05

Scripture:

11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

Inside Out

I often wonder what God was thinking when He created man. I say this because when something is being created it takes time to see the finished product.  In the word in Psalm 139:13-16 (Amplified Version) it states, 13. For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well (KJV). 15. My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought  [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. 16. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your  book  all the days[of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them (Amplified Version). I looked up the word knit in the dictionary to get an understanding of what that word means. This is what I found.

knit (nt)

v. knit or knit·ted, knit·ting, knits

v.tr.

1. To make (a fabric or garment) by intertwining yarn or thread in a series of connected loops either by hand, with knitting needles, or on a machine.

2. To form (yarn or thread) into fabric by intertwining.

3. To join closely; unite securely.

When I think of someone knitting a garment they have to carefully stitch each section together. If they mess up and get knots or lumps in the section, then they have to do the section over again. Therefore, when I think about God knitting us together; In my mind it means He took His time making sure that every limb, every strand of hair, and every piece of our body was stitched together with tender loving care.   We read earlier that we were fearfully and wonderfully made. That means in God’s eyes we are His masterpiece’s because we were made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26 & 27). 

Before reading this scripture I had low self-esteem. I didn’t like my appearance.  But, after walking with God and getting delivered from a few things; I thought this issue was resolved. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. I suppressed it, but didn’t really deal with it. Therefore, it resurfaced in a different way. I am no longer insecure in the way that I look, but I was insecure in the way that people accepted me. I was always seeking approval from others. 

Now, I am in the process of getting totally delivered from this issue. I am getting healing through cd’s, books, and reading God’s word. However, I am mostly getting healing from understanding and realizing how much God loves me. As long as I have been “saved” and a Christian I thought that I knew God. But, I knew God like I know a friend. I didn’t know God in the “Yada” sense of the word. Yada is the Hebrew word for know. It means to know someone intimately. I didn’t have an intimate relationship with God. I knew what His word said, but I really didn’t let the word transform my heart and change my life. Since I have decided to be an active participant in my growth process, I am starting to see my relationship with God form and change for the better.

It is wonderful if you look great on the outside, but if your spirit man is desolate; then you won’t become all that God is calling you to be. Become an active participant with God and let Him change you from the inside out. He is an awesome Father!

God Bless,

CG
Twitter @CMGlover05

Scriptures:

  

But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Isaiah 64:8 (KJV)

²⁶ God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.^(D)

²⁷ So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.^(E)

Genesis 1: 26&27 (Amplified Version)

  

Trusting in Yourself...

Trusting in yourself can get you emotionally distraught, physically hurt, or even cause detriment to your life. I learned this by taking a trip to the doctor’s office. In 2009, I went to the doctor for a check-up. Since I was born with a heart murmur my physician said, “Let’s check your heart to see how it looks”. I said, “Okay” because I knew that my heart would look fine. After checking my heart she referred me to see a cardiologist to get a second opinion on what she saw. The cardiologist confirmed that they saw the same thing. Then, I received the most shocking news of my life! My physician told me that I needed to get heart surgery at the age of 27!

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I told her that I wanted a third opinion. But, she said “I am not referring you to another cardiologist!”  “You need to make the appointment to have the surgery as soon as possible!” However, I didn’t make the appointment. I took matters into my own hands and searched for another doctor that would see me without a referral. That didn’t go so well. So, I finally started praying and asking God to heal me. I decided to believe that the Lord would heal me without the surgery. But, I wasn’t at peace with that decision.

After I did all that I knew to do I finally went to get counsel from my pastor. I told him everything that I was dealing with and I decided that the Lord could heal me without the surgery. He asked me if that is how the Lord said that He would heal me.  I said, “No”. So, my pastor asked me what I believed the Lord could do for me through the surgery. I said, “If I get the surgery, then I believe for a healthy heart and a speedy recovery.” We prayed and agreed on that request.

After my surgery I received what I prayed for. I had a healthy heart and I was up and walking around earlier than expected. God is so awesome! I am so glad that my pastor had the wisdom to ask me did the Lord say that He was going to heal me without surgery.  That was a turning point for me. It meant that I had to settle everything that was in my mind, quiet my emotions, and face my fears. I had to answer that question honestly and say no. If I trusted in myself and didn’t have the surgery, God only knows where I would be today. I am so grateful that I received counsel and trusted in the Lord, because He truly knows what is best for me! Thank you God for your grace, favor, and mercy upon my life. ~Trust in the Lord!

God Bless,

CG
Twitter @CMGlover05

~Dedicated to Pastor Wm. Di'Mon Brown & First Lady, Angela Brown

Scriptures:

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5&6 (KJV)

¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise.^(C)

^{Proverbs 12:15 (Amplified Version)}

¹⁴ Where no wise guidance is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 11:14 (Amplified Version)

⁹ A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.^(D)

^{Proverbs 16:9 (Amplified Version)}

²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name,there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:20 (KJV)