"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and they are safe (~ Proverbs 18:10.)"  

What a comforting promise in the time of trouble. And did you notice the medical banner waving at the top of the fortress? We know that symbolizes hospital, sickness, pain, injury, etc. In other words it's an S.O.S. for emergency help ... right away. So many times in every day lie the enemy tries to keep us out of the presence of  the Lord by creating any possible duress and disquietude of spirit. He thinks that if he can just turn up the heat , that we will fold and not stand.  Guess what? Sometimes we don't even need to stand, we just need to know where to run! When you don't know what to do, you DO know where to run. #Shondo!

 Stretch your arms wide and freely embrace this brand new day! No matter what the backdrop (yesterday) may have been, as long as there's breath, there's fresh opportunity for moving forward. No looking back allowed for DESTINY is surely ahead and not behind you. Get it together and move towards the mark. 3 Things to keep in mind as you reposition: 1) Hear the voice of God, 2) Listen to His strategic instructions, and by all means 3) Trust & obey what He says when He speaks. You're built for this so the only thing left to say is, "Onward!"

Just about everyone who watches just a few minutes of TV has seen the AT&T commercial where the kids share their wisdom on needed "turtle-speed." Kid #1 has a good point but kid #2 presents an even better point! If a vehicle is coming and I have no idea if it will crush me or swerve to preserve my life a little longer... I'll take being a fast turtle for 300 please, Alex. 

Recently some friends and I laughed about this very commercial but those kids were really onto something that got me thinking. To a turtle's credit it's not made to travel greater than a certain speed on average; it's just not built for acceleration. We humans on the other hand really do need to know when to put some fire under our feet and pick up the pace to cross over to the other side to a safe place of rest. Truth be told though, just like the turtle, everyone is not built to travel at the same speed despite the same level of desire to get out of the road. 

Whether we're a fast turtle or a slower turtle we can still get to the needed destination because thankfully we serve a gracious God who understands. Just take a look at Ecc 9:11 which says, "I returned and saw under the sun that, "The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all." 

Whether you're a slow turtle or fast turtle, as long as you're in the will of God and covered under His ark of safety... you'll be okay. Selah.

Through every situation requiring an intelligent decision, we MUST stand on the sure Word of God and trust that His promises are true. At every crossroad, we cannot lean to our own finite understanding that has a track record of leaving us stranded every time! Rather, we must acknowledge Him in all our ways knowing that He's ever faithful to direct our paths if we're sensitive enough to follow. 

Since not making a decision is inadvertently MAKING a decision we have to pray and seek the mind of God. Then we must resist the temptation to pretend that we didn't get or understand the answer if it's not the one we desired.  If we say we trust Him, we must keep believing, keep speaking, keep praying and keep standing until He makes it do what it do.  Selah.

Life Coach, Iyanla Vanzant, says: "Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.”          

Have you took a good look in the mirror lately and if so, did you like the image you saw? Was the person looking back at you someone you are happy with, proud of and even encouraged by who she ... IS BECOMING DESPITE all she may have been through? 

In class this week my Professor shared many of the common reasons or excuses students give for why they just cannot make it to and in school. He shared the details of a particular conversation that went something like this... 

Student: "You just don't understand. I'm having problems with this, and this and this. As a matter of fact, I'm really going through hell."  Professor: "GO FASTER!"

Wow! Every hellacious thing that happens to us has been given specific instructions on just how far and how long it can affect us. What we have been given are specific instructions on how to realize that no weapon formed against us can prosper, to tuck our cloaks  and "GO FASTER" by the grace of God through Jesus Christ! 

The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. (I Kings 18:46)

Receive a fresh awareness of Spirit's ability in your life today. Have the complete understanding that you are fearfully & wonderfully made. Stand tall in the power of knowing that through His grace YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. Now that you've got all that... benchpress your authority and make it happen!

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed -  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (2 Cor 4)

I submit to you that this year is a year for DREAMS coming true like never before. As a matter of fact it has already started for those who have 1) allowed yourself to dare to believe again and, 2) have put movement to your reaffirmed belief.
 
Many years ago  I was blessed to "star" as Harriet Tubman in an awesome production by Pastor Jacqueline Shaw. It was a dream come true because I had always admired this great woman, this female Moses, of uncommon faith & favor. A few of her most memorable quotes are:

• “I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”
  
• "Before I let you turn back, I'll shoot you dead!"
  
• “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”
• “Never wound a snake; kill it.”
  

As a child Harriet was beaten by masters to whom she was hired out. Early in her life, she suffered a severe head wound when hit by a heavy metal weight. The injury caused disabling seizures, narcoleptic attacks, headaches, and powerful visionary and dream experiences throughout her life, but guess what? She REFUSED to allow any of these things to deter her from her assignment to fulfill the visions/dreams implanted and entrusted within her by God. She realized it was not about her anyway, but about the souls assigned to her and as a result, God made it all work for her good!

Had she spoken to the slaves in our modern day language, I imagine she would have said:  "HONEY, GET LIFTED!" She understood that the dream of freedom could become reality if the slaves would only put it into action under the protective covering of darkness. Long before R. Kelly made "I Believe I Can Fly" a national motivational anthem, Harriet Tubman had literally walked it out. 

The same God that led her successfully through so many dangers, toils and snares is yet leading you today so in closing I simply admonish you to think bigger, wider and wilder (outside the box). Dust that dream off, get the mind of God concerning what safe route to take & "GET LIFTED!"

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. - (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails (Prov 19:21). Just yesterday I determined NOT to create any TO-DO-LISTS of goals or resolutions. This was highly unusual for me but I felt SURE that I was not to do it as I always have. After the new year came in I understood why because the Lord spoke the need for me to rather create "VOWS." What a revelation for there is incredible difference between goals, plans or even resolutions and a VOW! God has encouraged me to GO ANOTHER LEVEL... DEEPER this year than ever before and this requires my placing a demand of the super upon the natural like never before.  I make goals, plans and resolutions with the intention to succeed, but the truth is I might succeed; I might not. But when I make my VOW to the Lord I have the wind of the Spirit backing me; propelling my sails FORWARD knowing that this is not casual for me, but covenant. 

(Deut 23:21) says: “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you."  Obedience is better than sacrifice and I CANNOT, I REFUSE to sacrifice my destiny due to sinning by not keeping my vow(s). 

I serve a covenant-keeping God and when I cut covenant with Him, that's a covenant to covenant connection and a MUCH MORE COMPELLING position to be in. Not only to begin or end a thing, but to check it off as utterly "COMPLETED!" Selah.

The Holy Spirit is continually... INCREDIBLE! LATEEE in the mid[night] hour & all through the night the Lord made obstacles REROUTE & turn favor's corner in the lives of His people everywhere.  At mid[day] today I heard the term "Breakthrough" & though already knowing what it means I felt compelled to look it up. "Breakthrough" is defined as: 1) an offensive THRUST that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line in warfare, 2) an act or instance of breaking through an obstacle, 3) a sudden ADVANCE especially in knowledge or technique and 4) an important discovery that happens after trying for a long time to understand or explain something.  I know it's been a minute now and has seemed that breakthrough might never come but the decree has been issued and it shall be for you just as the Lord has said! Eat the dust of defeat? Never! You're more than a conqueror so go ahead & praise Him because it's already done! Oh , clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is AWESOME; He is a great King over all the earth. (Psa 47:1-2). Shalom, Shalom.