Seek to Respect

Genesis 4:4

4Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering.

Aretha Franklin asked for respect. The love was already there, but what she wanted was the respect. Cain killed because he coveted the same level of respect Abel received from God. So many people are looking for love and respect. The Lord loved both Cain and Abel but it was Abel who was respected because he gave God his best. Cain didn't give God his best but he wanted God to respect him as though he did.  I counted in the concordance at the back of my Bible the number of times love and it's derivatives of lovely, loved and lovingkindness were mentioned. The total was 61. 6 +1=7 which is representative of God's perfect number. And the Word says that perfect love cast out fear. I also counted respect and it's derivative respected and there were only 3 references. 3 represents the number of completion in God. His word also says that we are to respect those in authority. So love and respect is what makes any relationship whether romantic, family, friend or professional complete. Many love but not everyone respects. Love and respect must be mutual. Some equate respect with a title or station in life. But as we see in the news, the life of others isn't respected. Love and respect are not mutually exclusive. If they were, Jesus wouldn't have needed to say love thy neighbor as thyself. If you love and respect, you are less likely to give and do less than what is considered trustworthy. Parents and children whether young or old fight for respect. A son or daughter may know you love them but do you respect their right to make their own choice? A father or mother wants the respect of being full of wisdom of knowledge for their life experience and bringing you into this world. A friend who has been by your side and loved you wants to know you respect them enough not to betray or hurt them. A business relationship or contract is carried through because the respect of both parties is seen as important. For it is the lack of respect that actually breaches trust. 

I had a conversation with a dear friend whom I love and respect and we discussed this issue. Some do not respect because they see you as lesser than. It is in this thinking that people do not give their best to God nor to man. They esteem themselves about all when Jesus said to love others as we love ourselves. It is in this love that we will also seek to respect regardless station or title, have or have not. They are basic human needs that God created in each of us. Seek to love and respect others.

"Go Big or Die!"

Esther 4:16

16"Go gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish."

I know we've been in Esther recently but there are so many lessons here. After all, Queen Esther is my favorite woman of the Bible. Esther displayed so much courage and determination by God's grace that it is difficult to not focus on her story from multiple angles.  Esther fulfilled the true purpose for which God placed her in the royal court. She was used as a secret weapon to defeat an enemy. Esther displayed the ideology that is often needed in fulfilling purpose. She had the "go big or die" mentality. Most people know it as "go big or go home." But home was not the option. It's an easier choice to not fulfill purpose when the option is to just go home. But if there is nothing left but death, that's the game changer.  Esther had only two options. Her options were to convince the king that there was a plot to take out the Jews so he could stop the plan or die.  Either die at the hands of guards in the royal court or die at the hands of royal military carrying out the written edict which pronounced death for the Jews.

Now what if you had to die instead of not fulfilling your purpose? Would that make you want to pursue purpose with all you had? For me, this was the message I received eight years ago. Fulfill purpose or die. Some people don't understand why I'm so driven about the purposeful passions the Lord has placed in me. Well, had you walked a mile in my shoes from March 8-May 28, 2008 you would understand. A death sentence was pronounced over my life by man. I had never been hooked up to a continuous morphine pump before rattled with pain but terribly sick from overdosing. And then having reactions to medications that night and over the week that followed just so I could have the opportunity to live. God brought me through in hopes I would get the message that I needed to be like Esther and fulfill my purpose. It would mean going in the opposite direction of many I knew. For me, it was a hard lesson but one I will NEVER forget. So I pursue by God's grace and strength.

Even Joy Mangano, the billionaire inventor who's life story was featured in the movie, "JOY " over the Christmas holiday made sense. To her, there was no going back. She had the vision of  creating inventions to make life easier for herself and others as a kid. When her adult life was at a dead end, she went big. there was no going home. It was "go big or die!" If you have the, "go big or die," attitude, not fulfilling purpose is a death sentence. And this is not about chasing money. Money is not bad but if it's your only interest, the Lord didn't put you on earth to chase money.  He said in His Word that money takes wings and flies away. But He said your gifts will make room for you and put you before great men. He put you on earth with gifts He expects you to use. For Joy Mangano, it was the gift of inventions that people could use. That passion burned a hole in her from the time she was a child.  It's like it burns a hole in you if you can't do it or use it. When  you get that feeling, then you've found your purpose. "Go big or die!"

ROOTS Sunday "Your Name is Your Shield" Event in Laurel, MD

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Join me for a ROOTS Sunday "Your Name is Your Shield"  Event on Sunday, May 29, 2016 at 4pm!

Location:

Performing Arts Center for African Cultures (PACAC)

8576 Laureldale Drive

Laurel, MD 20724

This is a FREE event co-sponsored by Get Your JOY In The Morning! LLC, the Performing Arts Center for African Cultures and Agape Life Ministries. It is open to EVERYONE. This event is to coincide with the airing of The History Channel's ROOTS Reimagined starting Memorial Day. There will be portions of the film shown, a discussion on the importance of history, knowing your name and hopefully the reading of youth essays which were entered for Cash Prizes at www.rootssunday.com/studentessays. PLEASE register via getyourjoyinthemorning.com on the contact tab to attend or by email at getyourjoyinthemorning@gmail.com.

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#ROOTS Sunday "Your Name is Your Shield"

Good Afternoon,

On May 30th - June 2nd, 2016, something very special will happen: The History Channel will air a new imagination of ROOTS for the first time on 40 years. I would love to invite you and your congregation to be a part of this. 

As you know, ROOTS first aired in 1977, and immediately shook the world. As we approach the 40th anniversary of the original series, an amazing cast - Forest Whitaker, Anika Noni Rose, Laurence Fishburne, LeVar Burton and more - are joining with HISTORY to reimagine ROOTS for a new generation.

Prior to the May 30th airing, churches around the country are participating in "Roots Sunday" on Sunday, May 29th. To participate, churches agree to do at least one of the following:

1) Play the ROOTS trailer during Sunday services and make an announcement about its air date (May 30th - June 2nd, 9pm Eastern, The History Channel) 2) Acknowledge and honor the eldest members in your congregations. 3) Host watch parties and discussion events all four nights of the series. 4) Encourage young people to participate in the Roots Sunday Student Essay Contest.  Are you interested in having your church participate in Roots Sunday? If so, please sign up here, and you'll receive a toolkit, trailers, and other materials.  Thank you for your support of ROOTS! I'm excited for you to participate in ROOTS Sunday, and I am looking forward to you seeing this groundbreaking series. Many Blessings,   -Joy

Love First

1John 4:7

7Beloved, If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Several weeks ago I was serving at an event. I had stopped to take a break. While there, a younger man approached me. He appeared to be a student. We spoke for a few minutes. Then he asked, "Why are you so happy?" I immediately responded, "because of Jesus." He retorted, "Wow. You didn't even hesitate." I said, "No. Why would I?" He proceeded to name other reasons. What I didn't know at the time was it was a test. The young man already knew Jesus. He played as though he didn't know Jesus to see what I would say to evangelize someone. But within five minutes he let it slip out that he studied the Bible. He said he goes around and asks questions to see what people know. He admitted that he had newly come into Christ and had been vigorously studying the Word.

We had a great conversation. The younger man said he would return to speak more. Upon his return, when he learned something that was not advantageous to him he began to interrogate. As to say that others faulted where he succeeded. At any rate, as he began to ask who would go to heaven and who wouldn't, I noticed something the Lord showed me in the first conversation. I refused to engage in the conversation further and stopped with the following, "Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart and our minds and the second is like it which is to love thy neighbor." I politely looked him straight in his eyes and said, "As you continue to grow in Christ, you will learn this my friend, love first, salvation second." He wanted to debate. I said there is no debate. Be blessed and proceeded to go back to serving.

The Great Commission Jesus gave applies to all of us which is to evangelize. However, the main ingredient is love. The chapter most quoted about love says without love you have nothing. When the adulterous woman was brought to Jesus for condemnation, did he condemn her? No. He simply used love as the way to reach her. Yes, knowledge and salvation are important. But if we, as the body of Christ, cannot show people love, what reason do they have then to accept salvation? The true meaning behind salvation is love. Leading with love leads to salvation. It's great to have Biblical knowledge and yes the Word says we are to study and show ourselves approved. However, the word also says that if we say we love God but do not love our brother then we are not being truthful. God is love as the Word says but God is also truth.

Maslowe's Hierarchy of Needs in psychology says that love is one of the most basic need that every human being has just as water, food and shelter. God created us that way. Unfortunately, so many lack love to the point they think they are unlovable. So if you don't love you, and the word says to love thy neighbor as thyself, then the result is many treat others the way they've been treated or the way they see themselves. Hence the manifestation of abuses such as sexual abuse/assault, physical/domestic abuse, verbal or emotional abuse, spiritual abuse, financial abuse, reproductive abuse, manipulation, etc. None of these abuses conveys love. They actually convey a desperate need for help and resolution. However, lacking love does not justify the shedding/harming of innocent blood whether in the natural or in the spirit. We ALL have access to love. That love is God, if only we would seek. Love first. If you don't know how, God can and will show you if you seek.

There is Hope

Proverbs 17:22 and Proverbs 15:13

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Over the weekend I gave a reflection about abuse on the White House Ellipse in front of people from all over the country, Jamaica, Canada, Africa and Israel. Last month, while on Stop Child Abuse Now BlogTalk Radio, sponsored by the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA), I described what I went through, the feelings I had throughout the abuse I endured and the ridicule but more importantly how I came through it.  I found that each person on the panel who asked me questions identified with what I said and felt. They did not judge me. That night, I became part of the NAASCA family.  I was open about my faith, therapy and the other abuses I endured even in adulthood. I do not talk about abuse for sympathy. I talk about it because I don't want to see others go through what I endured or worse.

"1 in 4 girls are sexually abused and 1 in 6 boys."
"1 in 10 children will be sexually abused on or before their 18th birthday." And this is of reported cases. Many cases are never reported.

As a survivor I can share the following:

Child abuse causes sorrow in the heart. It is a direct attempt to kill a child's spirit. It makes them feel their life is not valued, they cannot trust people to be who they say they are, and it robs them of their voice. They are emotionally and physically blackmailed into silence. That same silence spills over and changes their ability to act as they once did. Just as Adam and Eve bit the apple from "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" and knew both good and evil, children cannot unlearn the evil of abuse.

But by the grace of the living God, there is hope. Hope comes in the form of our Lord who knows what it means to suffer and He is the great restorer. It also comes in the form of adults who care for children to educate themselves and teach their children what to do. Hope comes in the form of recognizing signs, getting children treatment and therapy. Therapy is not a dirty word. Hope continues by ones who care for those who have been abused to seek the Lord for patience and understanding.

This "terror" is not limited by race, religion or economic status as you have probably seen in the news. It is an equal opportunity destroyer.  In order to fight, one needs knowledge of the tactics of the enemy. In order to defeat an opponent you must know their every move and counter act. Make a pledge to yourself, before God and to those you love to do so.

My motto is, a little bit of caution beats watching a child go through a lifetime of redeeming their self-esteem, shedding shame and seeking healing.

Next steps: parents, grandparents, etc you can order my book "Shh Don't Tell" from the drop down list on my website at www.getyourjoyinthemorning.com. It will give you information on signs, what to do, what not to do and the stories of survivors so you can understand from their eyes. With your purchase you will also receive a FREE children's coloring book to help with talking with your children on what is appropriate and inappropriate. The stores that sell my book, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million and others, don't have the coloring book with it. It is something extra I am able to do as a result of my work with Safe Shores, the DC Children's Advocacy Center.  Safety starts with you.

Proof of Life

Proverbs 18:16

 

 

16A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

 

 

For most people, it's not every day they get to watch a friend's dreams come true. For me, it is a pleasure to see because God has allowed my dreams to come true. One such friend in college, Karen, always wanted to be in media, specifically broadcasting. Year after year, she kept pushing toward it. Even when it meant relocating to get to that dream. A couple of years ago I had the TV on though in another room. I heard her voice on the TV. I turned and sure enough it was her. She had relocated from another area.  She made her way into TV broadcasting in Baltimore. Back in January of this year, I was sharing with a mutual friend what station she was on now. And we spoke of wanting to get together. Well, I heard from Karen the very next day as she was working on a story line. It was a blessing I didn't know was coming. God allowed me to have favor with her because of a gifting. A gifting that fit into the story line. Why is this important? Well that story line led to a woman named Patricia West from an organization called S.I.S.T.E.R.S Involving Sisters seeing me. God told her to honor me. So two weeks ago in front of nearly 200 men and women I spoke about my friend Karen in my speech and how her reporting led to me being on that stage receiving an award.  And I spoke of my gratefulness to Patricia for heeding the voice of the Lord.

 

So imagine my heart when I got word of a bomb threat. I was on a call for White House Prayer for Our Nation's upcoming event. A leader asked me what was happening in Baltimore. I'm thinking he's speaking of the night before. When he said no, there's a bomb threat at a TV station. My entire countenance changed. He couldn't understand why I was frantically asking what station. I hung up immediately when I found out  so I could inquire of the whereabouts of my friend. When I didn't hear anything I called back and said, please pray. I checked social media. But more importantly, Karen was still operating as the reporter she is. Even in the face of what everyone thought was danger, she was still operating in her gift. Keeping her followers updated on the news.  I was never more grateful. For me, it was proof of life and that she was okay. So it is with this gratefulness that I say to you today, operate in your gift and purpose before you chase anything else. Your gift and purpose will always bless others because it was never just meant for you. It will place you before great men and women. And as long as you're operating in it, it may be the proof of life those who care for you need to see.