Suicidal: Conquering Holiday Depression

Preface

As I was preparing myself to spend Christmas Eve with my grandmother in the kitchen, I was led of the Lord to share this excerpt from my first ebook, “Encourage Yourself” on suicide, depression and the Holidays. As a mental health professional, I know for a fact that during this time of the year, depression is at an all-time high. Many people find themselves depressed during this season for many reasons, whether it is because of the thought of lost loved ones, economic hardships, unemployment, loneliness and so on.

Whether you are experiencing depression, have contemplated suicide or know someone who is depressed or suicidal, I pray this blog (which is also a personal testimony) is an encouragement. You really do have some to smile about, and something to live for!

LIVE!

Suicidal

Allow me to speak from heart for a minute. There is a lot I could say about this topic, but I do not feel the need to be long winded. This sort of topic requires that I get straight to the point. In short, if you’re reading this right now, you’re still alive. Because you are alive, you have destiny and you have purpose.

God has a plan for your life. It’s a good plan. According to Jeremiah 29:11, He is thinking good thoughts about you. His plan will give you hope, peace and prosperity.

No matter how bad it is right now, it isn’t over for you. If you can just get through this rough spot, you will be alright. We all have times where we feel overwhelmed by life and all of its problems. We feel worthless, like no one cares, like we’re all alone in this world. I want you to be encouraged today and know that God is with you and that He loves you.

Taking your own life won’t solve anything. You may feel that it can’t get any better and that you have no choice but to end it all. I want to minister hope to you today. I speak life to you. Don’t give up!

You may feel that your family and friends would be better off if your weren’t around. This is not true either. Your untimely death would devastate everyone who knows you! Suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems. Once you do it, it’s done. There is no reversal or changing your mind. It is a final decision! Nothing that you are going through is worth taking your own life.

This subject is so taboo, especially among Christians, yet it is happening in our circles. It’s not only happening in the pews, it’s happening in the pulpit. Leaders and lay members alike are depressed and feel hopeless. We are in great company. Suicidal thoughts are common, especially for the great and gifted.

We see many examples of depression and feeling of hopelessness even in the Bible. One example I will use is Elijah. (See 1 Kings 19) He was so depressed that he ran and hid in a cave. He was running away from life and purpose. Not only that, but the Bible says that he wanted his life to be over. He got so discouraged that he wanted to end it all.

Elijah was a great man of God, and the thought crossed his mind, but he didn’t act on it. He got a word from the Lord. That’s what I want to give you today; a word from the Lord! It’s not over yet.

You’re just getting started. The best is yet to come! Lift yourself up. Encourage yourself. Put on your garment of praise today and it will lift the spirit of heaviness! Learn how to bless the Lord at all times, no matter what you are going through and you will make it out with your life and your sanity.

I have been where you are and I made it out alive. I have not only thought about taking my life before, but in 2008, I made an unsuccessful attempt by taking an overdose of a deadly mix of prescription pills and pain killers. YES I was in ministry and YES I was anointed, but I was suicidal and unable to cope with the stresses of life. I just wanted it to be over!

 There is no way that I should be alive in 2012 to type this, but I want to let you know that God blocked it and I am here today. I am a living witness (a living epistle) that there is abundant life ahead of you if you refuse to give up on yourself now.

I love my life and you should love yours too! Today, I’m living my dreams and walking in my destiny and purpose. You can’t pay me  to take my own life now! I like me! Now, my assignment is to encourage others to faint not.

I want to offer life to you today. The devil came to steal your life and to convince you that it’s not worth living. The Bible lets us know that Satan is the “Father of Lies”. That means that everything he has ever told you is a LIE. He has lied to you about your life and your future. He came to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus came to give you life. Not just life, but abundant life! (John 10:10)

You have something to live for! God is not through using you and He’s not finished blessing you! Don’t give up. You can and you will make it! This holiday season, choose to focus on the positive areas of your life. Whatever you’re presently going through, know that it could be a lot worse. If you take an inventory of your life, you would see that you have a lot to be thankful for. Don't focus on the negative. Surround yourself with Scripture, positive people, and uplifting music.

One thing you can certainly be thankful for is that Jesus was born and died just for you. Because of his birth, life, death and resurrection, you and I have HOPE. That is what we celebrate during this season. We celebrate that no matter how bad our life is, Jesus is the answer and He came to heal all who are oppressed of the devil and to destroy the works of evil (1 John 3:8). He is the Prince of Peace and He promised that He would keep us in perfect peace if we keep our minds stayed and focus on Him! (Isaiah 26:3)

You were not built to break. I decree and declare in the name of Jesus that you shall live and not die! May the joy of the Lord be your strength. Merry Christmas! If you don't get one gift tomorrow, you have the gift of LIFE. It's precious. Cherish it!

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." ~Romans 8:37

Clinical Addendum: If you are dealing with a family member who is suicidal, NOT talking about it does not make it go away. You must give those feelings and emotions a voice. Not talking about it only makes it worse. If talking about it does not help the situation to your satisfaction, PLEASE consult a professional!!!

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If you need further help and counseling, you may contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Don’t be afraid or embarrassed about getting help!

The Shift to GLORY

As we hasten toward the end of another year, I see something major happening in the body of Christ that goes far beyond our individual churches, denominations and organizations. We are on the verge of a Kingdom-wide shift that involves a changing of the guard. Whenever God is about to shift the Body of Christ from one season to another, He raises up new leadership. We see this even with Joshua when God declared to him in Joshua 1:2, “Moses my servant is dead.” A new generation of leaders are postured, positioned and ready to mobilize.

As we move closer and closer to the end times, God desires to realign and reposition His church. Yet, ironically, the Body of Christ has come to a place where we have removed God from the church. We have removed God from the church by focusing more on fame, fortune, programs and events. The church of today is more interested in our own glory instead of His glory. Because of this, we have had “church”, but many have not truly experienced God in his fullness. We have a form of godliness with little to no power. It is possible to be a “church member” and not be a Kingdom citizen (John 3:5; Luke 17:20).

This place that the Body of Christ is currently in reminds me of the book of 1 Samuel. In 1 Samuel chapter 2, it begins to talk about the high priest Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas who assisted him in his priestly duties. However, the Bible lets us know that they were wicked, corrupt and did not know the Lord. Not only did they steal the offerings, but Eli’s sons also had sex with the women who had assembled in the tabernacle. This means that sexual acts were happening right in God’s house!

This sounds like today’s church, right? Greed, the love of money, no fear and reverence for God or His house and rampant sexual immorality. Yet in the middle of all of this evil and wickedness, God placed Samuel as a child in the temple. Even amongst all of the evil, there are those who can continue in their “duties” and maintain “church as usual”, but it’s not Kingdom because there is no demonstration of God’s power (Matthew 12:28) or transformation of the minds (Romans 12:1-2). Though Samuel was young and inexperienced, God was setting Samuel up to take over and turn the people’s hearts back to God, which is one of the roles of a prophet. God allowed him to be around corruption to show him a more excellent way.

This is the shift that is happening in the Body of Christ right now. The sons of Eli have run the house of God long enough. The spirit of Eli and his sons is rampant in the today’s church. But in the middle of corruption and wickedness, Samuel is a “secret agent”; a “sleeper spy” who is growing in stature and in favor. Samuel has been called into the Kingdom for such a time as this!

Samuel represents the remnant inside of a corrupt system. There are some Samuels who are being birthed, set in place, and brought into the Kingdom of God for such a time as this. God has placed Samuel in position to be ready for the coming shift in the Body of Christ! Next is about to become NOW.

In today’s church, there is a remnant of people, young and old, who have the spirit of Samuel and are ready, postured and in position for a Kingdom Takeover. But if you read the story, you will see that Samuel waited for God to shift him. Though Samuel was in the house and saw all of the corruption going on, He did not usurp the authority that was already in place. He waited until God called him and made room for him. I caution this generation to not possess a zeal that is not according to knowledge. God is a God of order and everything will happen in His time. We must wait patiently for the shift!

In Samuel, chapter 4, we learn of a battle between Israel and the Philistines. Not only did Israel lose the battle, but the lost the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of the Lord. When Eli heard of all that had transpired, he fell off of his seat, broke his neck and died. When Eli’s daughter-in-law, who was pregnant with the next generation, heard the news, she went into premature labor, naming her son Ichabod, meaning "the glory of the Lord has departed from Israe"l.

The only person left standing was Samuel. Samuel represents a paradigm shift, a sudden changing of the guard. Samuel is the start of new regime or governmental order (2012: The Year of Governmental Order). Though Ichabod was birthed, Samuel was the prophet who led the Israelites into the Philistines camp to recover the Ark. This will either be the generation which knew not the Lord (Judges 2:10), or the generation that seeks the face of God (Psalm 24:6).

I believe that this the generation that wants GOD and not just a “form of godliness”. In the next shift, the Ark of God is returning to the temple. It’s a shift to glory. The Ark (presence of God) is now in our hearts and we have a hunger and thirst after God’s righteousness. As we make this turn in the Body of Christ, you need to ask yourself this question: Am I a Samuel (for God’s glory); or a son of Eli (for my own glory)?

#dropsmic

Successfully Single: In The Meantime

Ecclesiastes 3:1 is a very familiar scripture to believers and nonbelievers alike: “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (KJV). This scripture lets us know that there are seasons for everything. Not only that, but there is a time for every purpose. In short, there is a purpose and a set time for each season of our life. The third chapter goes on to talk about a time for many different purposes; a time to be born, a time do die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what has been planted and so on.

But what about “a time to be single”...?

Whether you’re single and have never been married, divorced or widowed, if you are single right now, you are in a certain season, or time in your life. According to Ecclesiastes 3:1, this season of singleness has a purpose (….”a time to every purpose…”). In order to maximize your time in a certain season, it is imperative that you under the purpose of the season. I want to discuss what I believe your season of singleness is about and also what I believe it should not be about.

What It’s NOT
Church culture and ideology has convinced single people, especially single women, that the purpose of your time or season of singleness is to spend all of your time praying and waiting on a husband. A popular cliché among single women in the church today is, “I’m waiting on my Boaz”. However, many women in the church have spent all of their time of singleness waiting on “Boaz” and when he finally came, they discovered that they really got “BoBo” or “Bozo” (a clown).

For single men, especially single men who are preachers, pastors, etc., church culture, influenced by worldly ideologies has convinced men that something is wrong with you if you’re not married or engaged, especially by 30. In the minds of many carnal church people, 30 is the cut off point for single men. By that time, they’ve concluded that either you’re gay or that you’re a whoremonger who isn’t willing to settle down with just one woman.

I have seen many single men in the church and colleagues in ministry rush into a marriage because of the pressure that has been placed upon them. Most of these men who are rushed into marriage either aren’t ready mentally, emotionally and financially or they end up picking the wrong mate altogether. I always say that I’d rather be SINGLE than SORRY! The risk of picking the wrong one is more painful than being single in my opinion.

There certainly has to be more purpose to being a single Christian than just waiting around to get married! There has to be something better that we can be doing with our time. While I do believe that a season of singleness is the perfect time to prepare yourself for the future role of a husband or wife, certainly that is not the only purpose of your singleness!

What It Is
So what is the purpose for this season? What do we do in the meantime?

I believe one of those purposes is found in 1 Corinthians 7:32: “He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord.” (KJV).

This scripture doesn’t mean that single Christians don’t have busy lives filled with responsibilities. What it is simply saying is that a single person has more time to care for the things of God and also how they may please the Lord. You have more time to pray, study, seek God, and so on. You are more free to pursue the purpose of God for your life and more time to spend with God. It goes on to say that a man or a woman who is married must now be concerned about worldly things, including how they can please their spouse.

The Bible talks about two becoming one. Marriage is the ultimate merger. In 1 Corinthians 7:4, it says that the husband doesn’t belong to himself, neither does the wife belong to herself. They belong and are submitted to each other. So there’s more to consider when you are connected to another person. You are not as free to “do your own thing”. You now have to be concerned about the other individual with whom you are connected for life.

Paul goes in chapter 7 to call marriage a distraction. In one scripture, he said that he wishes everyone was like him; single and celibate. However, Paul realized that everyone wasn’t going to be like him (thank God) and he said it is better to marry than to burn, implying sexual desire. So he did not forbid marriage, however he did imply that those who are single are in a better position in the Kingdom because they are more available to GOD.

Purpose
You may desire to get married one day and you might be waiting on a spouse. But why not spend this time, this season of your life pursuing God with your whole heart? This is the perfect time in your life to focus your full, undivided attention on God and His purpose for your life. This is the time to be on fire for God and to be close to God because once you get married, you not only belong to someone else, but you have other responsibilities that will sometimes take you away from the things of God.

So what is the purpose for a time or season of singleness? The purpose is to pursue God and His purpose, desires, plans and destiny for your life. This is the time to live your life with purpose and meaning. This is the time to discover who you are. This is the time to be happy and comfortable with yourself. If you can’t be happy alone, don’t think that a relationship can make you happy. It will only complicate your life because you will have no identity and you will look for a relationship to define who you are. But if you know who you are and who your God is, when it’s time for your to transition into marriage, you’ll be a whole person. Two can only become one when two whole people come to the marriage!

This is the perfect time to discover who you and all of the wonderful things that God has for you. You don’t have to wait until marriage, you can live your life with purpose now. I believe that once you begin seeking God and His purpose for your life, you will eventually attract someone who has been doing the same!

I remember after a hard breakup about two years ago, my spiritual father spoke some words of wisdom and encouragement to me. He told me that God had someone for me, but I would have a lonely walk because of the calling on my life and where God was taking me in ministry. He said that God needed to make sure that he had my heart and attention completely before He sent someone into my life because of the added responsibilities that I would have to take on.

What he was basically saying is that I will be distracted once a wife and kids came into the picture of my life. Though I didn’t want to hear that, especially the part about a “lonely walk”, it brought a sense of purpose and meaning to my time of singleness. This is the time for me to passionately pursue God and walk strong in my purpose.

Content….For Now
So in this season, enjoy your freedom! Don’t be so consumed with your singleness and the “idea” of getting married, that you don’t live your life. It is fine and perfectly normal to desire a spouse. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that it is wrong for you to desire marriage (especially if they’re married with thighs in their bed every night!).

God gave us the desire for intimacy. In the beginning, He said that it was not good that the man be alone. He told us to “be fruitful and multiply”, then gave us the sexual desire to make it happen. If your desire is to be married, I believe that God will give you the desires of your heart. But in the meantime, don’t be thirsty, lonely or depressed, especially around holidays such as today, St. Valentine’s Day.

Try not to sing the blues today. If you’re a woman, keep waiting,  open your heart to potential candidates and live your life to the fullest. If you’re a man, keep praying, keep your eyes open, find a woman and pursue your “good thing”. But don’t be so thirsty that you’re willing to settle for anybody just to have somebody! You have more purpose and value than that.

Bring all that you can out of your singleness. Be content in whatever state you’re in. Learn how to be happy where you are until your season changes. Content doesn’t necessarily mean satisfied, it means that you’re okay for now. If you can trust God and be content, I believe that He will bless you according to your faithfulness. When you focus on God and your purpose, everything else will fall in line. In Matthew 6:33 we are told to seek the Kingdom of God FIRST and His righteousness and everything else will be taken care of.

I’ll leave you with this quote by Dr. Debora Hooper……..

“Do so much ministry….Get so many degrees….Travel so many places….Save so much money….Buy so many clothes….Own so much property, that each night you go to bed so tired but thanking GOD for your [season of] singleness!”

Do something with your single life in the meantime. LIVE! When you do get married, what are you going to bring to the table?? #dropsmic

The Story Behind My Praise

One year ago today, I was involved in a nearly fatal car accident during my morning commute to work. I wrote the following note on Facebook about four days after the incident. I'm just as grateful today as I was then! Enjoy my testimony...
This past week, I learned the real power of prayer. I have been saved since I was about 8 years old, and I am just now coming to the full realization of the power that is in prayer. In Luke 18:1, Jesus told his disciples that… “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint”. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 exhorts us to “Pray without ceasing”. There is power in prayer!

Many of you know by now that I was involved in a nearly fatal car accident on Wednesday, November 3rd at about 9 a.m. while I was headed to work. It was a rainy and wet morning here in South Mississippi. I was late leaving for work because I had to stop at the hospital (the same hospital I would later have to come back to via ambulance) to pick up some medical records. As I got on the interstate, the Holy Spirit begin to fill the car. I literally felt the presence of God as I was driving. I vividly remember saying to God, “God I feel your presence so heavy in this car”.

I begin to pray in the Spirit as I felt the unction. It got to a point where it became uncontrollable. The rain begin to pour harder and harder and it became harder to see. I continued to pray. I also slowed down (common sense). As I think about what happened within the next five minutes, Romans 8:26 comes to mind:

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words”

Speaking in tongues is often times seen as crazy, foolish and a bunch of hype only exercised by overly emotional Pentecostal believers. But speaking in tongues, or praying the Holy Ghost is a gift that is given by God to the 21st Century believer according to Acts 2. You don’t have to use, but you NEED to use it. Praying the Holy Ghost literally saved my life!

Romans 8:26 says that we don’t even know what to pray, but the SPIRIT knows what to pray because the spirit knows the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). When you don’t know what to pray, the Spirit of God does. He is all knowing, and He knows what’s ahead.

1 Corinthians 14:2

“For anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.”

While I was praying and listening to my brother, Myron Williams on the radio, I hit the back of the truck in front of me. Before the accident, I saw the car in front of me suddenly change lanes. I looked up and saw a SUV stopped in the middle of the highway. The driver stopped because the driver in front of them was going too fast and hydroplaned, causing his vehicle to spin around. The SUV that I hit stopped to avoid hitting the first vehicle. I had no way (and no time) to get over because cars were zooming by in the other lane. I hit the brakes on my car but it was too late.

I knew that I was going to hit the SUV and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The road was too wet for my brakes to stop in time. That was the scariest thing I’ve EVER experienced in my life. I had about five seconds to brace myself for impact.

I saw my whole life literally pass before my eyes. I saw my family. I saw my friends. I saw people I haven’t seen for years. I saw my enemies. I saw people I would like to make peace with. All in about five seconds.

BAM! I hit the truck. My glasses went one way, my hat went another way. The airbags deployed and hit me in the face and chest. The seatbelt pulled me back hard, leaving visible marks across my chest and also bruising my pelvis on both sides. My knee hit the dashboard. I blacked out for a couple of seconds and I thought I was dead.

When I realized I wasn’t dead, my first thought was to get out of the car because it may catch on fire. So I unbuckled my seatbelt and stumbled out of the car. I went over to the side of the bridge and held on as I looked back at my car in complete shock. When I got out of the car, my lips could utter no English at first. I was STILL praying in tongues. While the rain was pouring HARD, I lifted my hands to God and spoke my first English phrase…… “THANK YOU JESUS”!!!!

I had a PRAISE BREAK on the side of the road!!!!!!!!!!

God allowed three people to stop and help me. One carried me to her car and placed me in the back seat, out of the rain while the other two went and searched my car for my glasses, my phone and other personal items. One lady looked me in my eyes with tears in her eyes and said, “Someone was definitely watching over you today!”



Several people have looked at my car and asked, “You walked out of this car??????” My answer to that question is, “Nobody did this but GOD!” God still works miracles and I am a walking, talking, breathing miracle! I am the product of a modern day Passover. I am covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ, so death had to pass over me!

I wrote this note to encourage you all to pray! You never know what danger lies ahead. Had I not been praying, God only knows what would have happened to me. I believe that prayer saved my life! We always pray for God’s protection and his covering, but often times we are just saying it because it sounds good. We ought to always be in a position of prayer. We ought to be so yielded to God that when He says “Pray”, we pray without asking questions.

I also wrote this note to encourage you to pursue your destiny while living your life to the fullest. I believe that God spared my life because I am adamant about my destiny, purpose and reaching my full potential. I made a decision at the beginning of this year that I was on my way to destiny, never to accept anything less again. I made a decision that I will not entertain foolishness and stupidity because there is too much destiny and purpose on the inside of me! For that, the devil is mad at “lil ole me”! But I KNOW that all things work together for my good!

I also wrote this note to encourage any of you who do know have a relationship (not religion) with God to accept Him into your heart and start living life according to His word. You never know what lies ahead. You all should be attending my funeral services this coming week, but God covered me through the saving blood of His son, Jesus! God protects and watches over those who are HIS!!!!

Because God spared my life, I owe Him my life. I trust Him with my life! If He has never been Lord of all before, He is now! November 3rd was a redefining moment for me. God blocked it because I have work to do before I leave this Earth, and so do YOU!

In His Arms,
Prophet Joshua

Rock the Boat

A Lesson from Peter

We all know the story of Peter and how he walked on the water when Jesus called him. Many preachers like to focus on his BEGINNING to sink (remember, he didn’t completely sink because Jesus caught him by the hand), but I don’t want to focus on his nearly sinking. What I want to focus on is the fact that he stepped out in the first place! He stepped out of his comfort zone. And even though the other disciples in the boat probably called him crazy, at least he made a move.

What lesson can we get from the Apostle Peter? The lesson I want you to walk away with is that sometimes, you’ve got to step out by yourself. By nature, we as humans follow crowd. We are social beings and we like to go with the flow. Society dictates to us what is “normal” and that’s what we do. At no point in the existence of mankind has walking on water been considered the norm. It is extraordinary and I don’t personally know anyone who has done it.

The problem is, what God has for you is NOT normal. As a matter of fact, there is nothing ordinary or normal about a supernatural God! You’re getting ready to accomplish some things that have never been accomplished before. You don’t have a “reference point”. For example, even something as simple as going to college can be a step toward your destiny. Maybe no one in your family has ever been to college. Maybe you want to open your own business and you don’t know any business people. This means, you have no reference point. You’ve never seen it done before, but you know you heard God say it could be done.

That’s where faith comes in. Faith is not based on what you have seen in the past or what you are currently seeing. Faith is based solely on what God SAID. (Romans 10:17) Our faith is based on what He said and not what we see with our natural eyes. What He spoke is the only evidence we have to be able to hope for what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Peter had a revelation of who Jesus was, that’s why he could step out. Not only did he know who Jesus was, but he had faith in who he was. He said “If that is you, bid me to come”. He knew walking on water was crazy, but he also knew that if Jesus said it, the impossible would immediately become the possible!

That’s what you need to remember. No matter how crazy your vision or your dream sounds, if God said it, what was impossible in your mind and in the mind of others just became the possible! The Bible says that God glories in the impossible. He wants it to be impossible. He wants it to be so hard that you’ll have to trust him to accomplish it. He wants everybody to see that you can’t do it, so he can show you and everybody else that HE can do it. Simply put, He wants to get the glory!

Faith is blindly trusting in God. Faith is not controlled by your logic. God always challenges us to do things that we’ve never seen done before. He calls us into areas that we’ve never been in before. But if you are fearful of the unknown, you’ll miss what He has for you.

It’s time to rock the boat! It’s time to make some waves! That means you’re going to have to walk alone. If you want something that you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something that you’ve never done! It’s sink or swim; live or die! Your faith must go beyond simply believing. You must act on what you believe. Faith without works is dead!

Peter didn’t have anyone with him when he stepped out of the boat. But the awesome revelation about the whole ordeal is that they were all in trouble. Peter wasn’t the only one who needed to step out; they all needed to step out! Life as they currently knew it was a storm. What am I trying to say? If you stay in the boat, you’re going to stay in the storm and you’re going to suffer. But if you get out of the boat and start walking toward destiny, even though the storms is still raging, you’ll be where Jesus is. Where Jesus is, there is abundant life. Where Jesus is, there is safety, covering and salvation.

Psalms 91:1 says: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high, shall abide under the shadow of the almighty”. Proverbs 18:10 says: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run therin and are safe.” When you get to your destiny, you’re still going to have storms,  but you are protected. You can do what God has for you to do and walk in purpose much easier when you’re covered and protected.

People in the boat are going to talk about you. But Psalms 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way.”

LISTEN: This is not the time to get scared; this is the time to trust God. This is the time to trust that God has ordered your steps before the foundation of the World. You have to trust that God knows what He is talking about. You’re already in a storm, so you have nothing to lose by trusting God.

This is a great and fruitful season in your life, but you’ll never walk in it until you get out of the boat and start walking on some water. Eyes have not seen, neither have ears heard, but you’ve got to step out of the boat and trust God!

Be bold. Be strong. Be innovative. Rock the boat!