Self - Evaluation
Self Evaluation......
If I remove my career;
If I remove my financial status;
If I remove my political status;
If I remove my race/culture;
If I remove my social media status;
Who AM I?🤔(because that’s the “WHO”, that truly matters!) Am I a child of the King?
I’ve learned, over the past year, so many of us, depend on the things above to feel like we BELONG. But, GOD showed us in 2020 (continued in 2021) that things can change instantaneously! #WhatHeartSay #FocusOnWhatMatters #LiveLife #BeTheBestVersionOfYou #BeKind #BeIntentional✨🤞🏽🎯
How are you using your words?
After reading proverbs, I realized Solomon wrote a good bit about the “tongue” in this book. Example: Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Questions to ask yourself before you speak....
Am I adding value by the words I speak, or am I removing?
Am I lifting someone up, or am I tearing down?
Am I helping someone move forward, or am I holding someone back?
Am I speaking division/defeat in my marriage/relationship/friendship, or am I speaking life?
Am I encouraging someone to reach for their dreams, or am I letting my own jealousy/envy come through?
When I have to deal with an issue, can I do it with kind words instead of anger?
Lesson: We (You and Me) use our words all day long, so the opportunity to add life to someone else has no limits.
Our tongue has power. Remember as kids we used to say “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”......that’s a lie. Words hurt. Words scar. Words can kill and destroy.
There is power in your tongue, use it wisely!
Lord, HELP me to see you in EVERYTHING”
During this Pandemic, one of the MOST valuable lessons I learned was, “STOP COMPLAINING” and focus on what GOD is doing in EVERYTHING -#Perspective
_________________________________________
•I will not complain about working extra hours on my job - I’m BLESSED to still have one.
•I will not complain about the test I face with people - I’m BLESSED to have SELF-Control
•I will not complain about my kids causing problems - I’m BLESSED to still have them.
•I will not complain about wearing a my mask - I’m BLESSED to have breath in my body.
•I will not complain about laundry - I’m BLESSED to have clean clothes.
•I will not complain about cooking - I’m BLESSED to have food on my table.
•Your turn❗️You fill in the blank - I will not complain about ___________- I’m BLESSED to ______________
#HappySunday #Perspective #Thankful
The WORD….My WEAPON💪🏽
When we gain a true relationship with GOD, and KNOW his word, we fight our battles differently!!!!!
•No need in trying to get someone back that wronged you ~Romans 12:19 (weapon);
•There is no reason in being envious when someone is BLESSED before you ~Ecclesiastes 3:1(weapon);
•Trust GOD even when you don’t understand what he has allowed in your life ~Romans 8:28 (weapon);
•Know the words you speak, decide how your day will go ~Proverbs 18:21 (weapon);
•When you don’t know which way to turn in your life ~ Proverbs 3:6 (weapon).
•Make sure your HEART pleases GOD ~ 1 Sameul 16:7 (weapon)
LESSON: God has equipped you with the weapons needed to battle, USE THEM!!!!! Ephesians 6:11-18🎯😩💯
ACCEPT IT
While in my prayer closet, I found myself venting my trials and tribulations to GOD (as if He doesn’t know them 🙄). I began telling GOD how faithful I was, I’m a faithful tither, I’m humble in my blessings, I share his word, I help others, I lead everyone to him, etc…. BLAH-BLAH-BLAH. After venting, I still felt like I had so many unanswered questions, and the thought "you shouldn’t be going through all this if GOD is who He says he is”. WHEW CHILE!
Anyone been there?
After taking some time to quiet my thoughts, I heard God say “BE CONTENT” in this place. 😱 At this point I’m thinking, I’m getting hit from every side and you want me to be content......YES!
Even in this season I was reminded to ACCEPT what GOD allows and to “lean not to my own understanding”. Its for a purpose greater than I may understand.
Accepting what GOD allows says that I know where to place my Faith and Trust.
I challenge you to ACCEPT what God allows. Trust that this space, this place, this season, this chapter, this part of life is needed.
#BattleReady
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”
Proverbs 3:5 NIV
Your SEASON may change….. GOD remains the same
Today is one of the FIRST days of FALL!!!!! Which means it’s a NEW SEASON!!!! Don’t miss what this season has to offer, focusing on the SEASON that has now gone.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
No matter the season you face…..TRUST GOD.
Take a moment to list to the song attached.
Let’s talk INTEGRITY
God’s plan for your life will never come with you compromising who you are.
My reading : Proverbs 10:9 NLT. “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.”
Integrity = Honesty
Let’s talk about this scripture:
“People with integrity walk safely” •When you live your life honestly, nothing to hide, there is nothing people can hold over your head. See, I know Nedra past, and I’m ok with it. So I’m not concerned about anyone running a background check on me. I know what it has on it.
“But those who follow crooked paths will be exposed” .....🤔 •So, this is saying, when you alter the truth; you will be found out. When you lie about who you really are, it’ll be found out. When you misrepresent yourself, it will be found out.
You don’t want to live this way......Always having to look over your shoulder. Always being anxious when you’re questioned about your loyalty to a friendship or relationship, wondering if this time you will caught. Anxious because you’re wondering if today is the day folk will find out you lied when you testified or that you aren’t really living the life you “post” to live on social media.
•Live your TRUTH. Be YOU and be ok if you’re not being everyone’s cup of tea ☕️.
•Never compromise your integrity to fit in a place you’re meant to STAND OUT!
Happy TUESDAY!
The WORK begins in you!
REST……
I have a “hustle” mentality (like most women) and I have a habit of working my self to exhaustion, taking care of everyone else, and overlooking Nedra’s needs. I found out this week that GOD cares about my physical needs just as much as my spiritual needs🙌🏽.
MY READING : Psalm 23 tells us: “He MAKES me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3)
⚫️Many times GOD leads us to physical rest so he can RESTORE us spiritually.
TRANSPARENCY : I was in a 3 car accident on July 17, which resulted in total loss, both airbags deployed, concussion (head injury), loss of consciousness, busted mouth, and etc, just to name a few. Well I only took one day off of work (superwoman🙄) and been non-stop since. Since then I’ve been battling headaches, inability to focus on computer without headache, inability to workout, discouraged, and overwhelmed. **I NEEDED REST**. Long story short, I passed out at therapy, my primary doctor found out from therapist, and now I’m off work for two weeks no questions asked (REST). In that moment I was like GOD, I don’t want to be off from work.
LESSON : God is not expecting us to be super women. We do not get extra points for running on fumes. God understands we needs rest just as much as prayer and quiet time with Him. God wants us to take care of our bodies and treat them like the temples they are. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
ENCOURAGEMENT: REST when you need it! Stop trying to do EVERYTHING for everyone and forget to take care of you. It’s not about who ran the fastest, but who ran well!
Happy Monday ladies!!!❤️ #SheDeclaredWar
Has your foot SLIPPED?
“'I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord , supported me.” Psalms 94:18
When I slip….
One of my greatest fears in life is failing (slipping). I mean, who wants to mess up, cause disappointments, or embarrass themselves ?🤔
Because I was afraid of messing up, I allowed fear to stop me from walking towards my purpose. I always felt I needed to WAIT until the perfect time. Lesson : There is NO perfect time. Unfortunately, this fear stops many of us from moving forward. Because while we sit and wait for “perfect😳” conditions, we miss our boat (opportunity) to progress!
YES, we mess up✅
YES, we lose focus✅
YES, we detour ✅
God does not promise we won’t fail(slip), He promises to love us anyway and redirect our path when we do.
Encouragement : Don’t beat yourself up, seek God, regroup, and press forward. We may SLIP, but He won’t leave us there.
Happy Monday!!!!!
Broken Vs. Healed
I was asked to share my testimony again. So here you have it! 😊
To you, the picture attached may just be Nedra, with a big smile😬 in one vs. no smile in the other 😏. Or it may be Nedra pre weight loss, vs Nedra post weight loss...... but to me this picture explains sooooooooo much more…..“Broken (2006) vs. Healed (2020)”. As I reflect on my journey (attempted suicide, molestation, depression, generational curses, Insecurity/Comparison, Hurting people b/c they hurt me, financial struggles, bad choices, mistakes, miscarriage, divorce, having sex with someone to “I Guess” keep them, holding on to a failed relationship that “I” thought was for me, fake friendships ended, etc), I can now BOLDLY say, THANK YOU GOD for it all! How Nedra? Well I now understand that I went thru seasons of what I thought was pure hell, not knowing, it wasn’t meant to take me out, but to create who GOD called me to be. WHEW 😅 🙌🏽.
Lesson : I say all this to say, ACCEPT what GOD allows, learn from it, do your part, and THANK him for your PROCESS!!!!! It will work out for you if you allow Him To direct your path. Trust me.
He had to break me, in order to mold me🎯
There is PURPOSE❤️ ~Romans 8:28~
#HappyMonday #Transparency #Reflection #GratefulForMyProcess #MyStruggleMadeMe #ImNotAshamed #NoPityParty #OverComer #TestimonyForAnother #HesStillWorkingInMe #Humbled.....
Joy vs. Happiness🤔
Even as Christians who are called to be CONTENT in whatever situation we may be in, it’s easy to allow our situation to control our day.
Example: when everything (relationship/marriage, job, finances, health, etc) is going well and our connect with GOD is consistent we are in a great mood. However.......when life happens (finances are low, loss of family members, relationships/marriage, health issues, etc) we tend to lose FAITH, and become negative in everything.🤷🏽♀️🙄
If you read Hebrews 12:1-3, you’ll understand that GOD saw JOY in the mist of trials and tribulations.
JOY vs Happiness. How would you know?🤔 Joy is something the world didn’t give and can’t take away (internal). It’s not dependent on your circumstance but your connect with GOD. Happiness is a result of external factors(things going well, can be altered, etc)
Transparency: At one time I’d take my eyes off GOD and focus on my circumstances. Moods were altered by this. (You’d know if my money was right, if my relationship was on a good foot, if things were well at my job, etc). It wasn’t until I realized keeping my eyes STAYED on the LORD, would grant me PEACE, which in return would, give me JOY in the mist of whatever!
Lesson: Stay FOCUSED on GOD! ❤️
How are you finishing 2020?
The most challenging part about my weight loss journey wasn’t the weight loss itself; it’s keeping the weight off 🙄. The most challenging part about my marriage wasn’t the wedding day; it’s staying married. Even though I required C-sections with both my kids, the most challenging wasn’t the surgery, it’s raising them. You get my point🤷🏽♀️.
Most times our greatest challenge in life isn’t getting started, but staying focused and FINISHING strong!
I want to encourage you to lean not on your own strength but His. All the power and strength you need to FINISH strong is found in Jesus. Do you trust him?
“My ending shall be greater than the beginning". ~Ecc 7:8~
You got this sis.💪🏽❤️
Are you living a FILTERED life?
1 Samuel 16:7 says - But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
There are so many photo filters (not against them) where you can edit your smile, remove the dark circles, enhance your makeup, slim yourself down and etc. And we spend time making these edits in order to share the perfect pic/image/life for the world.🤷🏽♀️
Social media has given so many of us a stage to be who we think we should be for “people” and not who He created us to be for His purpose....WHEW 😅 #OUCH (This used to be Nedra, Thank you GOD for DELIVERANCE)
It’s time for us to be true to who we really are.
Lesson: Remove the filter. Be AUTHENTIC and UNASHAMED of who you are. ❤️
Happy Monday
Sometimes a "NO" from GOD, is actually “Thee” BLESSING👀🙌🏾.
Have you ever wanted something so bad (friendship, Marriage/Relationship, job, house, money, certain lifestyle, etc.)in the past/present....and wondered "WHY" it hasn’t happened yet👀🤷🏽♀️.....Or, regardless of knowing it wasn’t for you, went for it anyway, and it didn’t work out. 🙋🏽♀️ #GodSaidNo #HisProtection #SometimesWeAreNotReady
✨When GOD says “NO”…..it’s for your good ~Romans8:28✨
Transparency….While dating my husband I can remember thinking…..”this man is not for me” because he didn’t fit the script (picture) I had in my head of what I wanted I wanted in a man. What I wanted for me, (and went for 👀) GOD blocked, and I wondered WHY🤷🏽♀️. I wanted them though. GOD knew what I needed more than me. A man who loved Him 1st, loved my kids as his own, a provider, and so on. WHEW….See…..GOD’s “NO” for what Nedra wanted was actually my BLESSING. I sometimes look back and say, "THANK YOU JESUS for saving me from me."😬🙌🏾 #TrustHim #HeKnowsBest
**Just b/c it’s (the friendship, the relationship, the job, the house, etc) not packaged how you want, doesn’t mean it’s YOUR blessing.** DON’T return to sender before opening!🎯
HAPPY MONDAY
Replace your anxiety with PRAYER✨
The Bible tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Lesson: Worrying about a situation/circumstance won’t change a thing (will cause anxiety), but sincere prayer will.…Sometimes the change needed is in YOU (me)…..Sometimes we are the culprit to our own anxiety. #OUCH ✅
This was me before I learned how to pray…..🎯
I CHALLENGE you to swap your anxiety and negative thoughts with PRAYER this week!!!!
PRAYER<Anxiety❤️
Pruning Season? It’s Necessary!
Focus Scripture : “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
Pruning - trim (branch), by cutting away dead or overgrown branches. This process of pruning brings you closer to GOD, increases growth and fruitfulness. However, it is PAINFUL🙄.
So you’re telling me in order to GROW I must be cut👀…..YEP
Has God been pruning you? Let’s think 🤔
•Maybe your job was going great, you finally got a great schedule and you’re happy; then all of a sudden things change. Maybe this is God pruning you!
•Maybe years into a great friendship/relationship/marriage, you hit a rocky patch where loyalty is lost, a question of infedility, known backstabbing, etc, and now are questioning their place in your life. Maybe this is God pruning you!
•Perhaps you’ve been consistently paying your tithes at church, and all of a sudden every corner you turn on. You’ve had to put out money. Maybe that’s God pruning you!
•Perhaps you’ve been working out, following doctors order, taking meds as ordered and you receive a bad health report. Maybe this is God pruning you!
•Maybe you’ve prayed and cried for God to make a way that you don’t lose your house/car/material things, etc, and you receive notice you’re being repossessed/foreclosed. Maybe this is God pruning you!
Just to name a few!!!! Maybe…..YOU fill in the blank.
Ask yourself: Am I dragging around “dead branches” in my life? Maybe it’s a relationship, animosity from your past, a negative attitude that keeps you from enjoying life to the fullest or anything you look to for security instead of GOD.
Lesson: James 1:2-3 tells us to: ‘Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance’. It may feel like you’re being punished but GOD is pruning you so that you bear more fruit in your life than you could ever ask for or imagine.
Prayer: Lord, it’s pruning season for one of my sisters reading this BLOG and it hurts. But, I know that you will only take away what it’s hindering her. Help Her trust in you during her season. Amen
Be GRATEFUL
So often we take for granted “BIG” things that seem so simple, such as the use of our extremities.
While at the store I had the opportunity to speak to and be BLESSED by a young woman (37 years old), whose now paralyzed due to a car accident. When I tell you, hearing her testimony was a BLESSING from GOD, believe me.
As I walked out with tears in my eyes, I began praising GOD, in the middle of the parking lot…… Why, because again He just showed me how BLESSED I am to have activity of my extremities.
That could be me.
That could be you.
How many times has he kept you?
COMPLAIN for what again?
Thank you GOD for the reminder….❤️✨
Claim It: Today will be the BEST day of my life….✨
Don’t allow your circumstance to ruin the day you’ve been blessed with!!!!
Yep, I said it… your BEST day……👀
NOTE 📝: Our BEST day is not determined by everything (finances, relationship, job, great health, etc) going right in our lives.
Today is your BEST day because you believe it is….#Faith
If you can't change the situation/circumstance, don’t let it change you......What will that do🤔? You're only blessed with one life here on earth. LIVE IT!......Let GO, Let GOD, and CREATE a beautiful day in spite of your circumstance. The enemy hate JOY!!!!! #HappyMonday #TakeControl
YOU’RE HERE…..✅ - which means GOD allowed you another day for a PURPOSE…..
Happy Monday ladies ❤️
GOD has MORE in store!!!!
In order to receive we must BELIEVE (Faith) and live according to his purpose #TrustHim #LineUp #StayFocused #HappyFriday💪🏽❤️