Crucible

I looked up the definition of the word crucible. The first definition described a vessel used for melting a substance at high heat. However, the second and third definition stated that a crucible is a severe test or a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. Feel the fire. It's purifying. It’s purging. It’s testing. It’s creating something battle tested. The crazy part is the crucible isn’t broken during this process. It’s built to endure, and so are you. I know last year was hard. I know it was a lot. You’re still standing. You survived. Now it’s time for you to thrive.

Lead

It’s hard to follow who you don’t trust. It’s hard to forgive and forget. Interesting enough, that’s exactly what God asks us to do sometimes. He asks us to do foolish things, but His word says he will use the foolish things to confound the wise. Let God lead. It’s not always going to make sense. The way will not always be clear. Sometimes, it may be lonely, but it will be worth it. Let love lead. Let your fears go. Let the past go. It's too heavy to hold onto for the journey ahead. Let joy lead. Let faith lead. Let grace lead. Let mercy lead and imagine what follows….

Soul

Soul has been on repeat in my house since Christmas. It has led to some very interesting conversations about life before birth as well as life after death. It’s definitely some deep subject matter. I can admit that I was a bit disappointed with the movie. I have a thing with Disney and black characters. I expected a movie about Soul to have one. My fault. I expected Disney to chime into the Black experience. My fault. Soul to me is not just a religious thing. It’s cultural. It’s soul music. It’s soul train. It’s black fists. It’s full lips. It’s afro picks and picket lines. Soul to me is grandma’s prayers and peppermints. It’s Virginia Slims and black lips. It’s braided hair and pressing combs. Soul is home, but maybe I’m just thinking about the souls of black folks, cause America sold its soul.

Real Life

I know the events of 2020 and last week’s events definitely don’t fit into our version of reality. It seems like the unbelievable has been proven true. The veil has been lifted. Even our government acknowledged that aliens exist without a passing thought. So, maybe it’s possible to believe in something that might have seemed a bit far fetched before 2020. Maybe you should give faith and God a chance this year. I know that I have some awestruck moments. I’ve witnessed things I never expected to see in my lifetime let alone in one year. Maybe you should re-evaluate your beliefs in real life. Things are happening. The world is changing. Eyes are being opened. The heavens are shifting. I know you’ve thought it, this can’t be real life! It is….so now what?

Fresh Start

And just like that, we are six days into the new year. The clocks and calendars reset. Everything became past tense. It's like that every day, every hour, every second. We get multiple opportunities to start over. Take advantage of this newness. Encourage yourself. It’s not over. You can try again. Congratulations…you get a fresh start!

Lamentations 3:22-23 Kjv

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Thy will be done

It’s not on you. The consequences. The fix. The end result. It’s not on you. It's like magic. It’s like saying, “it wasn't me,” and everything is magically okay. It’s a supernatural release. The words alone immediately recognize ownership. It's your acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty. It’s your way of letting go and giving God control. It’s saying, “I know what I want, but God I trust you.” Thy will, not my will be done.

Peace

It's hard to imagine what peace really looks like in the midst of turmoil. Tis the season. We celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. Christ came so that we ultimately could be reconciled back to God. Christ came to pay the price so our sins could be washed white as snow. So as we listen to Christmas carols and sing about silent nights, let us be reminded that God is our peace on Earth. Peace be with you!