Radiant Transparency

  This poem came about months ago after receiving negative comments and feedback about how I choose to live my life. I’m not perfect but the more time goes on, the closer I get to God, the more I want to do things His way in every area of my life. Some people may not understand and I’ve come to terms with the fact that not everyone will understand. I’ve also come to terms with the fact that even some Christians may not encourage you to live by God’s standards; but discourage you by saying “You’ll be single forever, if that’s what you’re looking for” yet I serve the author of time. Even if that will be the outcome God will give me the grace to live it out. Some may think that this comes from a place of bitterness, but truthfully it comes from a place of full blown LOVE…for God and for me! For those who are making changes in your life based on your relationship with God and who He says you are and what you deserve, you are not alone. Surround yourself with people who encourag...

Life in His Garden Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being. [I Cor. 15:45-49.] And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed, constituted). And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired–good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing and calamity. [Rev. 2:7; 22:14, 19.] And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:7-9...

When God’s Purpose Drives Your Life Jeremiah 29: 11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart Once we know our God given purpose, it begins to take control of our lives. Some may think they understand it or that they are living it out, yet they lack the insight and connection with God to truly understand. Passion and purpose are often used interchangeably, yet they are two different things. You can have passion for something and it not be your God given purpose. Passion: a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something Passion by itself may drive you in circles doing any and everything to make that passion turn into success.  While God may allow you to have some su...

I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. (John 15:1-2) While looking over some things that I previously jotted down to post about on the Radiant Transparency Facebook page, the above scripture came to mind. We all have heard it and can picture the vinedresser using tools to cut the grapevine where it’s needed. So I thought what exactly is the detailed description of what a Vinedresser does? Some jobs sound simple enough, but there has to be more to it or God would not have thought to compare himself to that particular occupation. Grapes are used for many things, juice, wine, raisins or sold as fresh produce to name a few things.   It is a versatile fruit that people use every day in many forms. It is said that a vined...

14 Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” 15  The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!” John 4:14-15 With all the advertisements of the newest clothes, shoes, homes, gadgets and “reality TV” relationships, many aspire to be what they see paraded in front of them. These visions of grandeur cause us to look at our lives and strive to get the things mentioned in our own way. Once we have obtained the things that society deems important, we look at it and measure it again what others have. This measurement will either give us a false sense of superiority or inferiority, depending on who we compare ourselves to. Some of the things we do include, looking in the mirror and comparing ourselves to others and what they can do. We can either put ourselves on a pedestal because we think we are bet...

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6, 7 AMP) Over the past 18 months of my life I had been praying about a situation. That situation itself brought me closer to God than I have ever been before in my entire life. It showed me His strength, His grace, His mercy and brought out gifts He has placed in me. The time spent with God has also given me courage that I never dreamed I would have. It has also proven to me that no matter how other people act or what they say I am called ...

As I am typing this I’m in the midst of preparing posts for the Facebook page; writing a post about how much the words we say affect every area of our lives. Words affect everything from our attitude that day, how we see our future and how we are viewed by others. The post further talks about not talking ourselves out of our destiny, which is extremely important. In order to get where God wants us to be we have to start trusting in the vision and His promises by speaking life into what He has said. As I was thinking about the post, my sister and brother in law popped into my head and I envisioned them telling my nieces “use your words”. From a very young age they’ve taught them to not just point to things or whine and fuss for things, but to use their words to explain what they want. My oldest niece who is now 5 and speaks so much like an adult that I sometimes forget that she is only 5. When they were younger it would have been easy for them to just point at the object the...

                                                          As I was searching pictures on the Internet about God's love, I came across  an image that stated "Only God Can Judge Me". This picture made me think ....What if God were not the forgiving God that He is and judged me with unforgiving eyes. Would He be proud of my thoughts, actions, words, disposition, etc. or would He shake his head at the things He sees? So I searched the phrase online and found so many pictures of tattoos, with praying hands, crucifixes and fancy writing like the one above. The next thing that came to mind about ME was COP OUT. Do I say the phrase often...no, have I ever said it...yes. The truth is that this state...

My pastor (Dr. Dimitri Bradley www.mobcc.org ) is preaching a series on "Renewing The Mind", this past Sunday's sermon was a true eye opener for me. Dr. Bradley spoke about how God has a specific order in which we are to follow to successfully navigate through life. Through his illustration of an out of order machine, I made the comparison to some of life's experiences. The only way we can find out God's order is by renewing our minds with His word on a continuous basis. James 4:6-7 6  But He gives us more and more grace ( [ a ] power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). 7  So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Focusing on verse 7 is shows the order we should follow: Be subject to God, resist the...

Some trials are of the enemy, some self-inflicted (I've had many of these); no matter the avenue the destination of the enemy is always the same….destruction. The important thing to remember during the trials of life is that God knows exactly where we are and has allowed it all to happen. His plan is to prosper us, so no matter where we are it will all work together for our good. All the tough times we have been through, though they hurt they made us stronger = better. When we take that and acknowledge that God is in control we know that it is only by the grace of God that some of us did not end up as the star of a "Snapped", "Cops", "Iyanla fix my life" or a "Murder in the Family" episode. It takes a lot of strength and not strength of our own, but strength that God has placed in us to go through life and actually be in Gods will. This means doing the right thing, even when someone else isn't. The journey with God is not perfect...