Back in Town

Hello everyone!!

I am back in town. Home again.....Thank You, Jesus.

I hope everyone had a bless and fulfill weekend. I can't wait to play catch up.

But anyway, I had a great time. Our theme for the conference was Love, Laugh, and Learn. And we done all of that. I laughed so much until I cried and until my whole insides seem like they were about to explode. It feels good to get out of town every now and and then. The great thing about is that most of my co-workers are good friends of mine. There are some I call sisters. We had a blast.

There were other schools there as well. They enjoy laughing and having a good time with us. But I must admit, when I got back home I was tired with a capital T. Once I get my pictures downloaded, I will post them as soon as I get a chance.

Happy Monday to you all!!


Your Sister in Christ,
Toia

Out of Town

Hello everyone!!!

I have not blog in about a week, only because I have been working long hours. We are in the process of preparing for the new school year. Also, I will be out of town this weekend for DSS Training for teachers. With all that said and done, hopefully I will be back on track starting Monday.

I pray that everyone will have a bless and happy weekend.








Your Sister in Christ,

Toia

Scripture Sunday - (Romans 8:37-39)

Yet in all these things we are more than

conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death

nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers,

nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any other

created thing, shall be able to separate us from

the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:37-39)

Your Sister in Christ,

Toia

Bold & Free Thursday 3

I started my Bold & Free Thursday 3 with 3 of videos I liked looking at on GodTube.com.

This praise dance (or mime) is done to one of my favorite worship songs.

The song is called "Yes," recorded by Shekinah Glory Gospel Choir.

This song will bless your spirit.

I love the animation to this. The music in the backgorund is CeCe Winans -

"Alone in His Presence."

I never seen wedding vows done like this before. Very sweet & touching!!

Hope You enjoy!!

Your Sister in Christ,

Toia

Are You There Lord????

Are You There Lord?

Are You there, Lord? Do you see it?
Can you hear the battle cries
Of the young men bombing targets
From their war planes in the skies?
Our world is going mad, Dear Lord,
It seems to be insane
And everything they're doing, Lord,
They're doing in Your Name.

Dear Lord, our hearts are heavy
And ashamed for what we do.
How can we do such hateful things
Then say that we love You?
Instead of drawing closer to You,
Lord in every way,
It seems we've turned our backs on You
In all we do and say.

Are You there, Lord? Do you hear us?
Are you listening when we pray?
Do you know how much we need You now
In every single way?
Why must we go to war again?
Why must we be such fools?
How can the world turn right from wrong
When we've broken all Your rules?

Dear Lord, if You are out there,
Forgive the things we do.
Forgive us if we've done it wrong
And the hurt that we've caused You.
Please lift this burden from us
And wipe away our tears -
Or are our pleas just wasted
In the ashes of our fears?

Are You there, Lord? Will You answer?
Did You feel our pain begin?
You must be feeling something
For this suffering we are in.
It wasn't us who asked for war,
We wanted to be free,
But circumstances made us change
And now we have no peace.

Dear God, Why are You silent?
Aren't You hearing us at all?
Are You angry that we made the choice
To answer hatred's call?
Don't turn Your face away, Dear God,
Don't leave us on our own.
Just let us know that You're still there;
Don't make us walk alone.

Are You there, Lord? Can You hear us?
You seem so far away.
We need You more than ever, Lord,
To guide us through this day.
Don't close Your ears and eyes to us
Please let us know You care.
We're reaching out to you, Dear Lord,
We need to know You're there.

___________________________________________________

I'm here and I can hear you, my precious, precious child.
Be still for just one moment, I'm right there at your side.
I know how much you're hurting, the awful things you've seen.
I'll comfort you and give you strength, if you will lean on Me.
There's absolutely nothing, child, that you could say or do
That would make me love you any less, or turn My back on you.
How can I make you understand, that you and I are one?
My spirit lives within your soul, you cannot walk alone.

And even though I've told you this, so many times before,
In Psalms, in poems, in stories, in grace and by the law
That hatred is a cancer, it eats the heart of man.
You must learn to turn the other cheek if you want to live again.
I've sent you wondrous teachers, to every land and creed.
Yet still you always doubt My Word, that you are one with Me.
The world is My creation, My breath brought you to life.
You must learn to love your enemies, if your earth is to survive.

You have to try and understand, there is no other choice.
When all have learned this simple truth, then heaven will rejoice.
For the gates into My kingdom are always open wide,
Every race and all religions are welcome there inside.
For you are all My children, no matter what you do.
I hate the sin but love the child, and that, dear one, is true.
Go out and fill each heart with love; touch every soul you see.
Tell everybody who they are and that they are one with Me.

I Love You.

- Judi Whittaker

I came across this poem and I thought I would share with you all. Stay Bless and Stay Strong!!!

Your Sister in Christ,

Toia

Scripture Sunday

Your Sister in Christ,

Toia

Saturday Psalm and Praise - Psalm 121

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills--
From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

Many times when faced with a situation or in need of assistance to make a very important decision, we would try to take matters in our own hands, instead of immediately asking God for help and giving Him full control over the situation. God is here to help us, but He's just waiting for us to come to our senses long enough to ask Him. Now, I am not talking about giving your situation to God, when it only seems like the ride is too hard to handle. Then, when the ride becomes somewhat smooth again, you're ready to take the wheel again and attempt to drive. No, God has to have total control so that He can guide and instruct you on what to do and what not to do.

As you read Psalm 121, you will see that there are some benefits to looking up to God for help.

1) I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Being able to ask for help in the time of trouble is a great benefit to have. Your help is not coming from just anybody. It's coming from the creator of the universe himself-----The Almighty and Powerful God. There's no need to fear because God is always there. And He is our ultimate Helper.) So we may boldly say: "The LORD [is] my helper; I will not fear." (Hebrews 13:6).

2) He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. (No matter how fast and heavy the wind blows, how hard the waves tend to crash up against you, or how intense the storm gets......God will not allow your foot to be moved. You will stand firm on God's word. You will be steadfast and immovable. "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand," - from the hymn "My Hope is Built." Ephesians 6:13 and 14 instruct you how to stand [with God's help, of course] and not let your foot be moved.) "Therefore, put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and having done all [crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground].....," (Ephesians 6:13-14 amp). "Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble," (Proverb 3:23).

3) Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (This is what I like to call 24-hour customer service. Regardless of what time of day it is, you can call on God for help. God will not fall asleep on you. Even the disciples couldn't stay awake long enough to pray on Jesus' behalf [Luke 22:46]. But you can guarantee that you will not have that problem with our Lord and Savior.) "I, the Lord, will watch over it and tend its fruitful vines. Each day I will water them; day and night I will watch to keep enemies away," (Isaiah 27:3).

4) The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. (This is a promise of protection. The Lord is your protector. When the heat from your situation gets too instense, the Lord will protect you from the heat. He will be your shade. God's shade is your hiding place from the heat.) "For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;....," (Isaiah 27:4) "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock," (Psalm 27:5).

5) The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. (If the sun can't strike you by day and the moon by night, that means you have 24-hour protection. God will always be around. He's not going to leave and come back. He's going to be your side during the day and during the night.) "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday," (Psalm 91:5-6).

6) The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. (The Lord will not let any evil befall you, physically, mentally, and spiritually. He will keep you from harm's way. He will keep your spirit from becoming tainted by satan's ignorant devices.) "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways," (Psalm 91:10-11).

7) The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. (The Lord will protect all your comings and goings. Whether it be going to church and back, to work and back, or to the grocery store and back, God is protecting you to and from all your destinations, today and beyond.... forever.) "He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints," (Proverb 2:8). "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out," (Deut. 28:6).

Isn't God awesome or what? Remember, when you feel like your back is against the wall, cry out to God for help. He is waiting for the call. Consider it a spiritual 9-1-1 emergency call to the man upstairs Himself. No job is too big or too small for our God. Even Superman, don't have anything on our God. Superman has a weakness, which is kryptonite by the way. Our God...........none, zilch. There's nothing impossible for Him. Amen and Amen.

May this post be a blessing to you.....spirit, soul, and body.

Your Sister in Christ,

Toia

Willingness Versus Willfulness

During my bible study time, I came across two words: willingness and willfulness. Although the words are almost spelled the same, you may even think their meaning is almost the same...........NOT! These words are complete opposites from each other.

According to the Webster's Dictionary......
Willingness - Cheerful compliance: For example - "he expressed his willingness to help".

Willfulness - The trait of being prone to disobedience and lack of discipline.

Isn't that something? There are others that fall into the category of willingness. Better known as synonyms to all the english scholars. :)

bounteousness - To be a willing servant of Christ is to have a trait of bounteousnes (an overflowing of God's blessings). You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. (Psalm 23:5)

devotion - To be a willing servant of Christ is to be devoted to God and only Him.
You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

fight - As a willing servant of Christ, you have enlisted in God's army (training and preparing
yourself everyday for spiritual battles and spiritual warfare). "Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:10-12)


forgiveness - As a willing servant of Christ, you are asking God to forgive you of all your sins
In addition, you are asking God to fix your heart to forgive people in your life, who have hurt you in one way or another, so that you can move forward in the direction God wants you to go. "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Lead us not into temptation." (Luke 11:4)

good humouredness, good naturedness, good-temperedness - As a willing servant of Christ, you are saying that no matter what obstacle I am going through, I will have a positive outlook on it. I will count it all joy and operate daily in the fruit of the spirit. "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials." (James 1:1) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)

helpful - As a willing servant of Christ, you are not suppose to be selfish. You are willing to help others in need. You are also committed to help people find their way to Christ. God will give you all the help you need to be helpful to others. "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)

obliging - As a willing servant of Christ, you are oblige to do whatever work or ministry that God has called you to do w/o mumbling and complaining. To be obliged is to take pleasure in and delight. (For example, You take pleasure in God's word and living a life that is in right-standing with God. Or.... I take delight in the work God has called me to do.) "I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law [is] my delight." (Psalm 119:174)

openness - As a willing servant, you are open. You are willing to open up to God's ways and be close to everything and everyone that can hinder your relationship with Him. You are open to all the possibilities God has for you. "Open my eyes (my heart), that I may see wondrous things (with my heart) from Your law." (Psalm 119:18 [emphasis mine])

receive, receptiveness - As a willing servant of Christ, you are humble and receptive to God's word and His instruction on how to live life daily. You not a hearer of the word only, but a doer.
"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:21-22)


teachableness - As a willing servant of Christ, you should be teachable. You are not supposed to be a know-it-all. God wants to teach us how to teach others. God wants to teach us His ways, His word, and etc. How can you lead, when you are not willing to be taught on how to follow?
"Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You [are] the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." (Psalm 25:4-5)

"Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies." (Psalm 27:11)

"Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name." (Psalm 86:11)

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it [to] the end. (119:33)

Teach me to do Your will, For You [are] my God; Your Spirit [is] good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. (psalm 143:10)

You see, when you decide to be a willing servant of Christ, you take on a whole lot of characteristics (like the ones listed above), which God will perfect in you as time passes. As a wiilling servant, you are also telling God that you are ready, willing, and able to do what needs to be done to fulfill His plan for your life.

On the other hand, if you are a willful one. You lack discipline and walk in disobedience. You are heading nowhere fast. Your footsteps are not order by the Lord. You are doing and saying any and everything that is contrary to God. God needs a willing servant not a willful one. Willing servants take the narrow gate, while the willful ones wants to take the wide road (the easy way out). "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." (Matthew 7:13)

One thing you must understand is that being a willing servant of Christ is not some 9 to 5 job. You can't clock in and out, Monday through Friday. Then be a willful servant on the weekend. It's a 24/7 thing. You can say, "Yes" to God one day and "No" to God on another.

You can identify a willing servant through their conversations, spiritual walk, their fellowship, and their genuiness to help and serve others. Most importantly, their desire to do God's will.

So ask yourself - "Lord, am I a willing servant?" Consider that question a moment of self-evaluation.


Prayer: Lord, please give me a willing heart to do the work you have called me to do. I ask for forgiveness for anytime I was doing things willfully and not willingly. I am your willing servant. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.


I pray this post has been a blessing to your spirit.




Your Sister in Christ,
Toia

Luke 10:27

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________




















_______________________________________________________













_______________________________________________________
















_______________________________________________________

Luke 10:27

Your Sister in Christ,

Toia