Temporary Pleasures by Stacey Lunsford

I am in a quiet place, a healing, digging deep, forgiving, releasing, standing accountable for my behavior place. Not so much for the things that have happened to me but my response to the things that have happened to me. I'm in a place of reconciliation, a place of deliverance, restoration, a refreshing place, a place of renewal, the brook of Cherith (the place of cutting) surgery yes, open heart by the Master Surgeon Himself who is removing everything that serves no purpose and has no value in my life. Dying to self, a place of confrontation, facing things that I have swept under the rug. Painful, hurtful things that I never wanted to deal with, I am peeling off the layers willfully. Temporary pleasures have hidden price tags.

When I hit Rochelle (temporary pleasure) because he lied, I had to ask myself, what was it about that lie because he has been lying for 19 years? Thoughtfully contemplating the question, reviewing our past, I remember the day that I told him, “I’m not going to have an abortion.” His verbal/emotional response to me was symbolic to the beating (hidden price tag) that I received for my 10 seconds of pleasure for hitting him, including a severely dislocated shoulder and 32 hour imprisonment for his false report; yes, he lied again and I spent time in the joint but listen closely to my next point. “He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured”, Ethiopian Proverb. Temporary pleasures have hidden price tags.

Be angry and sin not. Unresolved anger will make you offensive. Failure to confront your hurts/pains will invite bitterness and resentment to come inside; temporary pleasures have hidden price tags. One day I will be able to ask Roe to forgive me, tell him that I forgive him and love him in Christ Jesus. Perhaps I will even be led to thank him for dislocating my shoulder only because it catapulted me to this wonderful healing place! Forgiveness is so liberating--but, temporary pleasures have hidden price tags.

© 2005 Stacey Lunsford, Philadelphia, PA. Arise & Shine For Jesus Ministry

Testimony: The Lord's Battle by Iris

A reader-friend, Cindy Reid of Denver, CO, forwarded to her friend, Iris of Littleton, CO, an installment of my original inspirational series, FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT entitled "Be Still." This is Iris' response:

That (FFS) is perfect for me today. I guess it is for everybody. But anyway, I was at the Cancer Clinic this morning, and they were getting me all set up to begin the radiation. One of the things they did was take a Cat Scan. As the machine rolled me into position, this verse came to mind:
"Fear not, there is nothing to fear, for I am with you." It made me cry and tears ran out the corners of my eyes and down to my ears, and I couldn't stop them. My arms were positioned a certain way, and I couldn't move.

Stanice is sharing similar verses. I thought, "This isn't my battle. I simply take my position." It will be in the machine each day, and I will see the Lord's deliverance. He's telling me not to be afraid or discouraged. (Similar to what He said to me today.) He's telling me to go out and meet them tomorrow, (the treatments each day) and He will be with me." What more can I ask?

© 2005 Iris, Littleton,CO

Sign-up for Food for the Spirit: the inspirational email series, on my website's front page at www.stanice.com Also bless your readers and assist them in coming back for more by securing Food for the Spirit: the syndicated column. For more information on this original content available for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and websites contact me at stanice@stanice.com

You Can by Regina Lacy

YOU CAN DO IT
*
YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT
*
ALL U HAVE TO DO
IS PUT YOUR MIND 2 IT
& PERSUE IT!
*
(your dream is only as
impossible/POSSIBLE
as YOU make it)

© 2005 Regina A. Lacy

Don't Laugh by black chile

don't laugh. i used a glue stick instead of my lip balm on my lips this morning. i was talking on the phone handling some very "important work related" issues when i grabbed what i thought was my lip balm out of the drawer. it felt the same going on but then i noticed that my lips became very terse. and then they started sticking together. i couldn't get the sh*t off. all day my lips have been chapped and in a very weird way.

i said don't laugh.

© 2005 black chile (For security's sake, the author remains anonymous--at least for now)

God a Theory? by Darlene Washington

There is such a ruckus up here about creationism, I heard something this morning as I was going out the door and thought well when I was going to school.....EVOLUTION was a theory and God was the creator and now it is turned around backwards...God and creation is "theory" and evolution is how we came to be......things that make you go ummmmmmm.

© 2005 Darlene Washington, Harrisburg, PA

Testimony: Christmas with Christians@AOL by Frank Bertrand

Some of you know that I was invited to give a talk at AOL Headquarters in November. God met us there! It was wonderful and the people sooo welcomed me into their auditorium and their hearts! One of the people that I met was Frank Bertrand. (I feel led to share that Frank bought a case of my books and had me to sign them for his family and friends. Actually, many people there bought multiple copies to give to others.)

Well, one of the groups within AOL that sponsored the talk was "Christians @ AOL" of which Frank is a member. Since, I was unable to make their Christmas Party on this past Monday, he was kind enough to share with me how God showed up and showed out at the party. Frank wrote:

"Karla Carrington put me in charge of the music...We were practicing our songs when a large man entered the Seriff Auditorium. He walked right up to us and said "You can't call this gathering a Christmas Party?" Three of us at once calmly stated, "We are Christians @ AOL and this is our Christmas Party." He then said, "Well, I am Jewish." I told him that he was welcome to stay and enjoy our party. He then said, "Can I join your choir? I smiled and gave him a copy of the music. He was one of the most joyous singers that we had. He and I and another singer formed a Trio and sang We Three Kings. Edward and I were the last to leave the party. Can anyone else but our Dear Lord Jesus Christ be in charge of our every breath? We both know the answer to that question."
© 2005 Frank Bertrand, Used with his permission.

Frank, thank you for sharing this testimony with us.

And to those of you who read and support Stanice's Open Mic, Soul Shout, and www.stanice.com Thank you for a years of blessings and prayers for me and my family.

Merry Christmas and a new year that will usher in a tremendously abundant season of God’s blessings and favor in and over you and your family. May He grant you the desires of your hearts, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. So be it!

We love you.
Stanice, son--Mike, granddaughter--Michal Zoe, and grand-TWINS due on Valentine Day 2006. Praising God from whom ALL blessing forever flow!

Gift for the Writer in You - Bonefire! Conference

Daughters of the King Ministries
and St. Joseph’s AME Church of Durham, NC
Invites you to attend… Bonefire! Women's Conference February 3-4, 2006

Whether God calls you to write or not, you have a God-given vision for your life! When God gives you something, it stays with you morning, noon, and night until you do what He says to do, the way He says to do it. It becomes like fire shut up in your bones. It becomes so hot that you have to write it down. It becomes such a powerful force that you can barely move or think.

Come and hear from experienced authors and teachers who can help you to not only write your vision, but also give you spiritual and practical insight to find your purpose and fulfill your destiny!

The roster of national Christian authors and experienced teachers, reads as a "Who's Who" of the Christian publishing world, such as: Sharon Ewell-Foster; Jacquelin Thomas; Stanice Anderson; Michele Andrea Bowen-Brown; Rebecca Osaigbovo; Victoria Johnson; Marilynn Griffith and Claudia Burney, are confirmed to be at the Bonefire! Women's Conference. Collectively these distinguished authors have published numerous books and have hundreds of powerful testimonies to share with Conference attendees,about discovering God's purpose for their lives. They will share how they were able to articulate their vision through their writing.

Registration is just $69.00! To register, follow the Bonefire! registration link on the website above. Give a registration to a “Sistahfriend” for Christmas and we will send her a special keepsake from Dr. Gail Hayes confirming her registration!

Testimony: Tested by Aurora McLean

Just a little note on what happened today:
All week has been finals at school. And on one test down at the bottom I wrote "LORD, PLEASE HELP ME PASS THIS TEST." Stanice, how about I passed it. Tears came to my eyes as I thanked the Lord for showing up and taking over. Also, I had a final math test this evening, Can you believe I made a 90. I was so happy. Cause math is not my subject. This has showed me that with just a little bit of faith, we can conquer all.

© 2005 Aurora McLean, Sanford, NC

StaniceSpeak:
So it is with the tests that come into our lives, as God grows us into women, children, and men that delight His heart. Like Aurora, with each test, let us pray, "Lord, please help me pass this test." And also let us not forget to give God the glory when we pass. While life might not be our strongest subject, it is His!

GodSpeak
1 Thessalonians 2:4
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

Job 23:10
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

New Page by Terri Brown

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. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

New Page

Think about a book of blank pages. Each page is waiting for the moment it will capture the first strokes of the writers pen and store the memories of all that is written. Every new page is history in the making, because we are able to write whatever we choose. This new page is given to us in the form of a new day and every page of a book counts, because the pages of a book reveal the testimony of its author.

Every morning we awake we are given new grace and mercy. Grace is unmerited favor. That means even though we don't deserve it, we got it. That means no matter how bad of a thing you think you have done, or how you don't believe God will forgive you for what you said/did, you get new mercy. Each new day is an opportunity for anything to happen and for anything to come to pass. Each new page written is an opportunity for you to move closer to the things that God has promised.

Our lives are like books and depending on where you are in life (age), dictates how many pages of our books are written. Write what you want to see and don't let anything be written that you have to erase, because what gets written, becomes a part of you. Therefore the next time you awake and don't "feel" like getting out of bed, remember you have a book to complete, because someone is waiting to read what you were destined to write. Stay encouraged and keep moving forward.

Copyright 2005, Terri Brown
Luke 8:11 - The seed is the Word of God

Testimony: Crossing The Bridge by Patrice Gaines

I was driving to Blufton, S.C., which is just outside Hilton Head. It was daylight but it was foggy and rainy. As I approached a bridge, my body tensed. I slowed down. Cars passed. My hands gripped the steering wheel. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it over the radio. I was scared.

Cars passed me. The bridge seemed to loom into the sky. I thought I might drive off the edge. My right foot felt heavy on the pedal. I wanted to pull over but there was no place to stop. I was desperate to get off that bridge but it spread out at least another mile ahead of me. I turned off the radio and began to repeat aloud: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

These words have always comforted me. They remind me of who I really am and what I am, therefore, capable of doing and handling. On the other side of the bridge, I asked, "Why?" What had happened to me?

I am still meditating and praying on the answer and it is evolving. But I received part of the answer on that other side of the bridge.

I have had some major life changes over the past few years--I left a longtime job and career, my marriage broke up, and I moved from one state to another. These are changes psychologists say are major stress factors. Yet I have denied this every step of the way. On that bridge, I was faced with the truth: Denial is not the same as surrender.

I have to acknowledge and grieve my losses and changes; acknowledge I miss friends and familiarity and even being married. I love my new home and new friends but I have to give my feelings their due, play them out before I can surrender them to God.

On that bridge every fear I was denying rose up to meet me: Will I be successful in my new career, starting a nonprofit organization to help women who have been incarcerated? Have I made the right moves? Only in acknowledging my questions can I then surrender my concerns. Otherwise, I am pressing them down, holding onto them.

Of course, I had to return across the bridge on the way back. I drove across it barely noticing. In fact, I kept looking for another bridge. Surely, this little measly bridge I had crossed couldn't be the one I crossed over--going. But a few miles past the bridge I realized there was no other bridge. The bridge that had seemed so high and expansive on the way over was a little, short crossing on the way back.

I laughed, knowing that I was already starting to surrender. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..."

© 2005 Patrice Gaines, Author, Motivational Speaker, Writer. To learn more about Patrice, as well as her books, speaking engagements, and nonprofit organization, The Brown Angel Center, go to www.patricegaines.com

Testimony: Feast on THE WORD Gatherings by DaMaris Hill

by DaMaris Hill

I have been spiritually linked to Stanice for several years and an active participant in the “Feast on THE WORD” Gatherings for a year now. It is an intimate setting in which we explore complex issues regarding our careers, relationships and financial situations from a spiritual perspective. I consider our unique prayer and study sessions an intricate part of my Christian walk and development. Any issue presented in the “Feast” is addressed immediately through biblical study and sincere prayer. Each “Feast” is an enriching experience that brings me closer to God.

Through study and prayer I have a greater concept of God’s purpose for my life. I have started a business that allows me to use my unique talents and ideas to assist others in obtaining their goals. My business, Formula5 Consulting, bridges the gaps between the imagination and high expectations. It allows me to blend my passion for creativity with psychological theory and work experience to help my clients achieve success. While forming the business I was confronted with obstacles and distractions, but with the prayers and encouragement of my sisters in the “Feast on THE WORD,” I was able to discern my blessings from potential blunders. I am genuinely happy. I am helping to deliver others from debilitating pitfalls in their lives and foremost I am fulfilling my purpose.

If God shall lead you, please visit www.formula5consulting.com. If we can be of any assistance, please contact us at info@formula5consulting.com
May God bless you!

© 2005 DaMaris Hill

I Would Rather Live! by Stanice Anderson

This morning, a good friend and sister in Christ, Lois, took the time and emailed me this photo along with these few potent words:

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is."

I, in turn, feel led to share it with you and offer to walk with you as Jesus Christ, personally, through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, leads you through the "next steps." This is not a coincidence nor an accident that you are right here, right now. You must have been praying and/or somebody's praying for you. I know I have and it's likely that we've never even met. But in the spirit, we have...more than likely I have been where you are right now and I can tell you...through it all and perhaps even because of it all--IT'S GONNA BE ALL RIGHT. If it brought you to this day...to this crossroad--then, IT'S ALL GOOD.

Yes, even inaudible prayers have been seeping up out of your heart now for awhile and I thank God that He leads me even now to let you know that He has heard your prayers and that what he offers you is NOT RELIGIOSITY but RELATIONSHIP. A personal and intimate relationship with the Himself made possible only through His Son, Jesus Christ. John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Billy Graham fanned the fire of spiritual clarity in my heart one day when I heard him say, "Religion is man's way of trying to reach God but Jesus Christ is God's way of trying to reach man."

THIS IS THE DAY OF GOD'S FAVOR.

If you haven’t already, you can pray, right this minute. Why wait for a time that you don't know that you have? I didn’t wait. I was in my self-imposed dungeon of an apartment when I asked Jesus to come into my life and He did! Right where I was!

Pray with me…"Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to Romans 10:9-10 which says, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." I do that now, Father, I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead.

I am a Christian - a child of Almighty God, I am born again and I am saved! Amen!"

Congratulations, on your brand new beginning! You have just made the absolute, very best decision of your entire life!

And now, I say a pray for YOU.

Father God, I pray now for my new siblings through Christ Jesus. What a joy! Do for them what you've done for me and MORE besides. Reveal the plans You alone know that you have for their lives, plans for prosperity and not disaster. Your plans to give them a future and a hope just as You say in Your Word in the 29th chapter of Jeremiah, verses 11 through 14. Fill them now with your Holy Spirit so that they can do all things through Christ who strengths them. I ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen. So be it!

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (New International Version)

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (New International Version)

TODAY, YOU HAVE CHOSEN LIFE! AMEN. SO BE IT!

For more and to email me about your destiny-changing decision for Jesus, click to go a page on my website or email me at stanice@stanice.com

NOTE: If you already have a personal and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, let's continue to grow in that relationship and let's share this spirit-led message with others who have yet to discover the peace and joy we've found in being Jesus lovers--and watch was God does through our obedience to spread the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ--in whatever form.

© 2005 Stanice Anderson www.stanice.com