If I could Start a Movement...

As I reflect on the many trends that have been initiated on social media over the last few years I am confronted with the harsh reality that Americans are generally more concerned with mindless entertainment than effecting any real change. It's much more desired to take part in "the questions game", "post a planking picture","post a picture in a hoodie and skittles", than it is to sign a petition, mentor some youth, demonstrate love to someone in need, etc.

The world that we live in is in need of LOVE. That may sound like a surface statement but if love for God, Others and Self is not a part of the reality of a man- hopelessness is the direct result. Once one loses hope everything else of value falls. Self Love and Hope is what allows a young lady to value her appearance by not dressing like a hooker in order to get attention from a man. This same Hope and Love allows a young man to realize that sagging is living below the standard of why he was created. This very Hope and Love demands that you step up to parent the kids that YOU created, not just financially but physically and emotionally. Hope and Love allows one to be confident and have self-esteem.

When you Truly have Hope and Love some things are not allowed in your life:
1. Living life on the surface
2. Hating other people (which is directly linked to hating self)
3. Sitting back and watching hurting people and not feeling a moral obligation to plant a seed.

If I could start a movement it would be "Spread Love". Not the Americanized, failed version of Love but the type of Love that is Life Changing. The type of Love that is for the best interested of the individual. Love that is sacrificial, Love that has integrity, Love that is Not Emotional but Driven by the Love of God. One thing is for sure, God is the professor of Love and loving self and people is simply not possible without God. How can you learn what you have not seen? The Love that is waiting for you is abundant and supercedes anything ever experienced.

I strive to do this in my personal life and interactions and I am thankful for the fruit (productivity) that has been yielded from that (Glory to God!) but WHEN I get a bigger platform, the movement that I will push is that of Hope and Love both of which comes through God. It's time for us to stop living life on the surface friends. People are dying...what are you doing?

Thank You Lord for taking My sins to The Cross, Thank You that I have Hope in You. Thank You for creating a New Heart within Me. You truly do Make all Things New. I am forever thankful for John 3:16. I hope my obedience to You reveals my heart of gratitude. Amen.

With Love,

Kris

New Position: Tactical Unit

We all have our opinions about who we are but in terms of fulfilling our God given purpose, the only opinion that matters is the one of The Creator. Aside from The Word  there is only one way to gain deeper insight into what God thinks about you and that is to simply ask him; hence the reason for this article.

Let me preface this by saying that God speaks so clearly when we seek him with sincere motives. Sometimes the answers are surprising and other times exactly what you expected. I am continually seeking God to deposit the characteristics that should be while deleting the ones that do not represent the woman that God has purposed me to become. After all, obedience is better than sacrifice.

Last week while driving with no music I heard a still voice say “tactical unit” (of course I ignored the first time). Later during the week I mentioned to some friends that I felt like I was a one woman tactical unit but I couldn’t quite explain why I felt that way. I later mentioned it to another friend with a bit more clarity. From that conversation God clarified and confirmed what He was saying to me and about me.

First let’s evaluate the role of a tactical team: An organization of troops, aircraft, and ships that are intended to serve as a single unit in combat (fighting between armed forces). It may include service units required for its direct support.

The scripture that God gave me to clarify what he was speaking was Ephesians 6:10-20 (bible readers this is the passage about putting on the whole armor of God). I wasn’t initially able to connect that scripture with God telling me that I was a tactical unit but after I made the connection (with the help of my sister- thanks Tam!) I realized what a powerful word God had provided!

Eph 6:10-12

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, and against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

As Christians who are saved and freed from the bondage of sin and eternal death by the blood of Jesus Christ we are commissioned to help free other people. Right? Right! Join me in a visual…

I am in a tactical unit helicopter looking atop a house. In the house, there is a family (a mother, father and two teenage kids). Also in the house are enemies, the problem is…the family doesn’t yet realize that they are enemies. As far as the family is concerned, the enemies in their home are friends. They hang out together, they break bread together, they work together, they go to school together, they have some of the same friends, etc. These “frienamies” (enemies in the form of friends) also have weapons and unbeknown to the family, their sole purpose is to deceive the members of this household and ultimately kill them. As I look over the top of the home I am clear about my purpose. I am dressed in my combat suit (boots, bulletproof vest, helmet, machine gun, etc.) and my task is simply to help this family to see the danger and get them safely outside of the house where their combat suit and weapons are waiting so that they can defend themselves. Do you see where I’m going with this? Keep reading.

This is the exact visual that God gave me and after intertwining it with Ephesians 6:10-20, it was crystal clear what God was saying. As Christians we are constantly walking amongst people who are in serious danger, however, the danger is not physical (although sometimes having physical manifestations) but rather spiritual. We are constantly in spiritual warfare and the enemy’s job is to deceive, steal, kill and destroy. Unfortunately we often get distracted because rather than viewing life with our spiritual eyes, it is soooo easy to view life through our natural eyes. We even make friends with the Satan. Perhaps we think that maybe…just MAYBE…that he is NOT trying to kill us.

Now let’s be real, we are not always dressed in combat gear for one reason or another. Some days we just aren’t feeling it and other days we think we don’t need it and can do it on our own, and sometimes as crazy as it sounds, we make underhanded deals with the enemy. The problem is, each time we are not completely suited up, is an opportunity that we gave to Satan to kill and destroy his target. We are on the tactical unit and the unit is headed by Christ. Our combat should consist of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, Salvation, The Holy Spirit, and Love. Our weapon is more powerful than physical weapons; our weapon is The World of God! One thing is for sure, God is NOT asking us to do this out of our own strength, He would rather we not! God wants us to COMPLETELY rely on Him to prepare us for battle and to see us through to victory. Honestly, the victory is already won; we just have to be obedient!

Let’s get in position, fully dressed, and ready for war; knowing that the battle is not ours, but it belongs to the Lord! Be encouraged and Be in Position!

With Love,

Kris

If You Don't Know Who You Are, The World Will Tell You: Identity

If you know me personally you know that I am a thinker and I analyze everything....often to the extreme. Many of my friends make the "here she goes again" face when I casually bring up a random conversation but hopefully you'll hear me out?

 Identity is defined as the aggregate of characteristics by which an individual is recognized by himself and others. Everyone has one but few are intentional about what their identity is or what it represents. While this may not seem to be a big deal in our modern society, identity plays an integral role in determining the productivity of one’s life. Biblically speaking, a name represented character (or identity). When God called individuals out of darkness into relationship with him the first thing he did was a name (identity) change. Before Paul was Paul, a sold out follower and proclaimer of Jesus Christ, he was Saul, a murderer and persecutor of Christians. Once he saw the truth and committed his life to Christ, he was immediately given a new identity. Imagine if Paul had not had an identity change…would he have been as successful in his ministry? If he lived life dwelling on former things or guilt of his life before Christ or without a firm foundation from which to root his ministry I highly doubt that he would have been as successful at carrying out the purpose for which he was created.

 Let’s translate this into 2012. Before we were created God had a purpose for our lives. He knew the story that we needed to live out that purpose. He knew the parents that we needed, the people we needed to encounter, the pain we needed to feel, the personality that we needed to have, the joy we needed to feel, the traumatic experience we needed to have, etc. God planned out (in advance) every aspect of our lives all of a specific purpose. The problem is that because we have free will (Thank God for it! ) we are given a choice and unfortunately we don’t always make the correct choice in time. Many of us choose to use all that God gave us to give pleasure to our fleshly desires rather than for establishing our identity in God and allowing him to grow us in faith.

 I am a lover of wisdom and as a result I have a special love for elderly people because they possess so much knowledge. In talking to an elderly friend of mine she told me “If you don’t know you are, the devil will tell you”. That comment resonated with me because of the truth in it. If we don’t have an established identity the WORLD will tell us who we are! I’m African American and I live in a culture that often says that African American women are not smart, aimless, promiscuous, angry, bitter, etc. Thank God that his graces allows me to know that that is not the case but as I stated, that is strictly by the grace of the God that I don’t have to succumb to that train of thought.   

 The way that I identify myself is as follows:

1.      I am a Christian (follower of Jesus Christ). This will always be where my identity is primarily rooted.

2.      I am a Major. I remember as a child being chastised about something that I had done wrong by my dad. He would say “You are a Major. Major’s don’t do that”. Although I didn’t always understand then, now I understand that that was my parent’s way of instilling identity in me and establishing expectation for my life.

3.      I am an African American.

4.      I am a Woman.

5.      I am an advocate for health, justice and equality.

6.      Everything else falls thereafter.

 This is the identity that I have taken on. I want to challenge you to intentionally think about how you identify yourself. My prayer for you is that your identity be built on a solid foundation so that you will yield the highest level of productivity out of your life. Our life here on earth is but a vapor, let’s do something with it!

 I would love to hear your thoughts!

 With Love,

 Kris

Trust the Faithful

I wrote this note in 2009 and it's still relevant in 2012!

Faith is an area in which many Christians struggle. God has personally been working with me in the area of trusting him. In an era in which the devil is very busy in not only the world but in our very community, it is easy to think that God has forgotten about you, people dying left and right, bad economy, everybody is broke, bills due and no money...I could go on. But oh how sweet it is to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to rest upon his promise, just to know thus says the Lord (The lyrics to my favorite hymn). In 2009 when the economy is getting progressively worse, I can still have confidence in my God, knowing that even when Wall Street needs a bailout, he is still MY provider! Statistics suggest that only 2 of every 10 black women will get married because blacks don't marry anymore...I can still have confidence to know that God has hand picked my husband and he's preparing us for eachother. Even though friends suggest that you may as well do what everybody else is doing because black men aren't about anything...you have to remember that God PROMISED to give us the desires of our heart according to his will. Even though sometimes the devil will try to manipulate our minds to believe that the non-believers are more prosperous than the believers, they still MUST stand before judgement day!! God is good, I have yet to find anyone as trustworthy as Jesus...he NEVER fails! My point, don't be swayed to believed that God has forgotten about you, if you haven't received what you've been praying for, evaluate it to see if it falls in line with the will of God and if you can even handle the release that you are praying for.

What Are We Here For??!

I wrote this post in 2009 and i'm amazed at how much God has revealed to me over the past 3 years. As I stated then, If you give God an inch of desire for him, he will truly reveal himself to you. Thank you Lord!

I was feeling the pen this morning so I decided to record my thoughts. It may just provide encouragement to you....


The responsibility is not one that should be taken lightly, but often times it is. You realize that your life has purpose and you are here to fulfill that purpose but you take the responsibility as a hobby rather than as a full time job. You feel the constant voice of God calling you closer to him but you’re not ready to yield the that voice because you’re afraid of having to give up the worldly things that to you have become so comfortable. There is a war going on in your spirit and you know that the spirit of God within you will win, but at what cost?

God is always blessing me, I’m not worthy, I don’t do anything to deserve the blessings but because of his grace and mercy he continues to show me where he will take me if I will completely surrender to him and become a kingdom builder. God doesn’t bless us so that we can sit on our blessings; rather he places people in our lives that he wants to bless through us. He wants people to come into the knowledge of him through us, he wants people to be encouraged through us, he wants people to be financially blessed through us, he wants people to obtain jobs through us, he wants people to have healthcare through us, the list goes on. Whatever your spiritual gifts are is what God wants you to use to do his work and ultimately to build his kingdom. Many of us don’t mind using our gifts to give honor to God, the problem comes in with exemplifying him in our actions. Living a life that allows people to see Christ in us should be our first responsibility. We are called to show people the love of Christ, which means that even when people make us mad, or even when our fleshly desires warrant sin, we should strive to honor God with our lives.

Is this easy?!?! Not at all! But at some point, I began to feel selfish. Selfish because God wants to bless so many people through me but he is limited by me. If I am not in constant communication with God (my power source) I cannot fulfill my purpose. Sin separates us from God, the more we sin, the easier it becomes to sin, and the further we become from Christ. God doesn’t push us away but we simply unplug from the source of power. Without that power, tackling life issues become very difficult and giving God our all is nearly impossible.

When I spend more time with God, I feel secure and confident, this is not to say that life is always great, but God gives us the power to overcome any challenges. At some point, we have to be transformed by the renewing of our spirit. We have to give up the desires to fit in to the world, we have to give up the need to be popular, we have to give up the need to please people, we even have to give up sinful desires. We are here for a greater calling; we can bless people in a way that could transform their lives, we can touch people in a way that can save their lives. That’s what it’s all about!! You go to school to get an education….yes you get other things while you are there, social activities, fun, stress, and drama but the main purpose is education. The same is true with life, the main purpose is to serve God, build his kingdom, bring people into the knowledge of Christ, but while we are here we’ll have fun, family, friends, stresses, love, careers but we have to keep our eyes on the prize. So, I encourage all to challenge yourself to discover the purpose that God had in mind when he created you (we all have one) and get to work and I will be praying that we all succeed. Every day we wake is an opportunity for us to serve God.

I’m not completely there yet but every day that I seek the face of God, it gets easier. Most importantly is the desire, if we give God an inch, he will take a mile. Pray, seek God, and your desires will begin to change from your will to God’s will. From the bottom of my heart, I hope that if you are reading this, God speaks to you and I pray that you are blessed and that you use your life to glorify God and because of that you are glorified in this life and on the other side.

My Testimony

So, as Christians, it is good for us to share our testimony with others for them to benefit. It is also good for us to constantly remind ourselves of our own testimonies to keep remain humble and keep things in prospective. This particular one isn't recently but very much alive in my heart. I hope you find comfort in the fact that God knows, he cares, and he will carry you through the process of healing. James 1:2-8


Jesus, The Ultimate Healer

When I was young I was diagnosed with a auto immune disease that the doctors said would claim my life by the age of 12, I was ALWAYS in the hospital and always missing school. I was put on a steroid that depleted the calcium out of my bones and caused me to break my bones often (so not only did I have weak muscles but I also had weak bones, lol). After the doctors saw that I wasn't going to die when they expected, they then said that I'd never walk again. I went on to be on the track team in high school and the marching band and I am still here to share my testimony. I was released from my neurologist just before I went to college and the disease that I was told that I would suffer with for the rest of my life is completely gone. My hospital even sent my family and me on a trip through the "Give the kids the world" program, the program is meant to grant children their last wish before they die. I say all that to say that God is truly awesome and powerful! Whatever we ask in his name according to his will, he will provide.

We are created for a purpose and until that purpose is fulfilled, we are here to stay. The thing that we must do in tune in to discover what that purpose is and get to work! And if you can't see the long term, bring it down to the day. Everyday we wake up, there is a purpose for us. It may be to bless someone financially, it may be to give someone an encouraging word or smile and it may just be to listen to God for your next assignment. The more time we spend with God, the more clear our purpose becomes. I am forever thankful and when I begin to think to highly of myself and my own abilities, I remember when I was at my most vulnerable state and could do nothing for myself, if it were not for God, I would have been in my little grave a lonnnnng time ago. Be encouraged!

Kris

Job Security?? My Testimony

I have to make this short and sweet! I hope someone gets something out of it!

I graduated from Alabama A&M University in May 2008 and started a masters program in Public Health ( concentration: Health Administration, Management and Policy) in August of 2008. I graduated from that program in May 2010 (whoop whoop). I started looking for a position before I graduated however, I was having no success on finding a full time position. The job that I worked while In my masters program paid $21 an hour, I was also working as a research assistant making $15 an hour. Needless to say, I felt bless to be in school and have jobs that paid well and were relevant to my field (public health) and interest. So, God opened a door for me to do a 2 month fellowship program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maryland which was great...although it was not really in my interest, it was something that that I had experience in from undergrad (food science) I was also able to live in DC (something that I have always wanted to do). I came back to Atl after the fellowship ended and had no idea when I was going to get a full time position. So, for 2 months I was unemployed...broke...feeling like a loser! lol After 2 months God opened up another door for me to complete a fellowship program in Atlanta at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ASTDR). This fellowship was a 3 month position. I was happy

for the opportunity BUT i felt like I wasn't getting the most out of the experience. My mentor was really busy and I was basically on my own. But after a convo with my mentor (who works at CDC/ATSDR) she encouraged me to maximize my experience even if I felt that it wasn't a great situation, so...I did! I was able to be an author on an publication and develop a project that was beneficial to the agencies and present to senior staff at CDC. At the conclusion of the fellowship I was NOT offered a position.................... Pause.......................... it was only a fellowship and with all of my networking an opportunity was not available (it is VERY hard to get a full time position in the federal government).

So at this point I was back at step 1, unemployed and feeling like a loser. lol Although I had amazing people all around encouraging me I felt as though no one truly understood what i was feeling. I was 23 when I got my masters, ppl really take well to me so I had favor (not bragging but it's true), I excelled academically, I knew the right people, but none of this seemed to help. I was unemployed from November 2010 - February 2011. I got on food stamps (yes I had food stamps, I miss them dearly :( ) so in case I ended up homeless at least I could eat! lol I even got a job at a restaurant...and no it wasn't fancy...it was Shane's Rib Shack *straight face*....at this point I knew that God had something better waiting on me but since he gave me an opportunity to have an income I took the job (and I was geeked too) hahaha. While there, my goal was to identify someone(s) who I could show the love of Christ to and I did, I was focused on my purpose at the restaurant and that was it. I worked there until this happened, which was about 2 weeks...(see below)

In February I got a random phone call from my sib at MSM (let me explain- msm has a program where 2nd years are matched with 1st year students to serve as a mentor, support, etc.) asking if I had found a job, I said no, she told me to call someone who she interned with. When I called the lady we talked for about an hour and a half, she was leaving her position and was looking for someone to replace her. The position was directly related to the skills that I had gained at my "useless" fellowship at CDC/ATSDR and was in an area that I was very interested in and passionate about. So in a matter of a week I had interviewed for the position and 2 weeks later, I was hired. Praise God!

I say all of this to say, I thought that I had it all together, I knew the right people, I did the right things, I was really feeling myself...I have always been clear that we have to depend on God for everything, BUT this experience gave new meaning to that. Sometimes God takes us around the way (Like he did with the children of Israel) instead of giving us the direct path. Although that was one of the hardest moments of my life, I must say that I wouldn't change it for the world. During that time I had to run to God and that is exactly where he wanted (want) me. I got in my word (bible) because that was the only thing that I could put my hope and trust in, I communicated with God continually (as we are instructed to do anyway) and my focus was completely on him (God/Jesus). The things that God revealed to me in that 8 months were invaluable. It made me more compassionate to others, increased my capacity to love, revealed my purpose clearly to me in turn making me more passionate about what I need to accomplish in life and it made me more focused on Christ.

I have been working at my current position for 7 months now and I really enjoy it. There are challenges but to those challenges I say TO GOD be the Glory! God has already proven to me over and over that he is capable of providing and protecting me so why would I worry?! (this is a continual struggle-- complete reliance on Christ). I know this is only the beginning of God wants to do with my little life and I am excited about my future. I am totally blessed beyond measures. Even in my unemployment I was blessed beyond measures. This is why Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen...you can't always see how God is preparing your blessing but you better believe that he is working things out behind the scenes. Just trust him, love him more, walk more closely with him, check your life on a daily basis to make sure that it lines up with the Word of God and God promised that ALL other things will be added unto you. I can now say that I feel fully confident in myself through Christ! Many people get it twisted and think that self- confidence is all about your power, your strength, your looks, your success, etc. No. This confidence that I have cannot be taking away if I lose my job, if I am not "successful" by the worlds standard, or if I get in a car accident and get my face messed up (I rebuke that) but rather it comes through knowing who I am in Christ and the abundant love that Christ has for me. That type of confidence cannot be taken away.

I could go on, I promise I could but this is Facebook...lol But to those who are in a similar place as sincere as I can I encourage you to keep the faith. Know that God wants to bless you, that is his desire for you, know that you is smart, you is kind, and you is important (corny huh?! )

Now I had to check myself a couple of months ago because I started getting side tracked. I had my job, I was feeling myself (again) and the Holy Spirit convicted me...since then I have refocused and I hope that I I will continue to check myself for error...after all, I am a work in progress.

There is no such thing as job security, look at all that is going on in the world...nothing is secure. Security comes only through God!

I wrote this because I promised God that when I got a full-time job that I would make sure that he got the glory from it. For ppl to know that it was nothing that I did "right", but it was only God that moved for me. Lastly, I have an awesome support system. My family and friends, even though I was withdrawn during my time of employment due to my own insecurities, were always there with a word, a prayer, MONEY (heeeyyy!), etc. and I am eternally thankful to them for that. I still don't know how my bills got paid every month or how I still managed to have fun but I know that it had to be something supernatural (God). I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share life with. I love you all and BE ENCOURAGED!

****Praise Break***** ♥ So much for short and sweet ;(

Marriage is for the Birds?!

“Never Take Relationship Advice from A Single Girl…she is a just going to hate on you” how many of you have ever heard that said? I think it’s dumb but I may be bias because I am that single girl….So, if you believe that to your heart, then exit from this note because you’re about to think that I’m a hater. I assure you, this is out of love, not hate. My personal philosophy on advice is that I take it from people who 1) have similar morals as I, 2) shares my faith (this is flexible but definitely true for things like relationships), 3) who lifestyle I respect in the aspect that I seek advice.

I’ve noticed two trends that are alarming and disheartening

1) The Divorce Rate is going up at an alarming rate
2) Black People don’t get married much anymore


We can all name many reasons why this trend is so, but at the root of the problem is PREPARATION! Meaning…

Most people have a picture in mind how their life will look once they “settle down” perhaps it looks like this:

Attractive husband/wife, kids, dog, house, careers, faith, fun, vacation, travel, sex

All of that is great however many factors must be considered…

A) Have you made preparation to be the person that you have in your mind? For example, I can want to learn Spanish and imagine myself speaking fluently all day and night, but until I pick up the software and start studying then it’s all a dream (true story). The same is true for obtaining the type of lasting relationship that you have in mine. If you want to be an effective husband, wife, mother, or father -who your spouse adores and kids look up to you, you have to make preparation to get there. If you are not disciplined in your singleness then what makes you think that all of a sudden you are going to be the “marrying type” and it actually work?

1. Do you like to gain more than you give in relationships? If so, that is something that should be dealt with now, while single
2. Are you chasing after shallow things? i.e. how someone looks, car they drive, how much money they make, etc. There is nothing wrong with wanting those things but they should by no means out shadow the things of substance
3. Do you truly know how to love? Not surface love, but the type of love that Christ demonstrates. Lasting relationships requires us to display selfless love, unconditional/agape love. This is extremely important because marriage is permanent and everything isn’t going to be good all the time. You may have sick children that may shake your faith, someone might get laid off making paying bills a struggle, etc. and you made a commitment to be there, regardless! NOW… American society has spoiled us into thinking that we should get what we want, how we want it, when we want it so when things don’t go as planned, we walk away (which often times is fine because we didn’t make a commitment) ….many of us take that same mentality into marriage so when things get difficult, we bail.
4. If you have not experienced God, you CANNOT properly love in a marriage…I’m sorry but it can’t happen. God is love, God demonstrates love to us and allows us to love ourselves and others. God wants to love and God will increase our capacity to love. I started praying that prayer over the last year and I promise it happened. “Lord, increase my capacity to love, forgive, show mercy”

Preparation is key, and it starts now, not when you meet the person who you want to be with. I have encountered many men who want to get married but when they meet a woman that they would married they are scared to death because they realize that they can’t really handle the woman that they want. So they end up either running from it or playing games and sabotaging the relationship because it requires too much work.

A theologian whom I respect, Andy Stanley, posed this question “Are you the person that the person that you are looking for is looking for?”

I think the question is genius! I honestly have to answer no, I am getting there, but I have a few more things that I need to work out before I’m ready for marriage. God has called me to a BIG purpose and in order for me to be most effective, there are some things that I need to change and examine. I also think it’s extremely important for me to guard my purpose, meaning, if a man doesn’t have purpose and passion for life…then I really shouldn’t get involved romantically. I have cousins, future children, brothers, sisters, friends, family, etc. to guide….when I allow someone to led me astray, it’s a chain affect…and God does not get the greatest possible glory out of my life.

I think marriage is a beautiful thing, my parents have been married for over 40years and I’m thankful for the example, I’m also thankful that it taught me that marriage is full of highs and lows but genuine love is the glue that holds it together. Strong families is essential to strong community and a strong nation. If you breakup the family…the devil has greater access. I hope that black love will grow and be sustained! Be encouraged!

Feel free to share your thoughts :)

G2G!

Kris

#Darkness is Trending

Take a good look at the world around you....have you noticed that #darkness is a trendy concept in society. What do I mean??....look at music icons today (Rihanna, Kanye, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, etc), if that isn't enough take a look at the people around you who try so hard to appear mysterious because it's "in style". No, they don’t' all wear black everywhere and profess to be devil worshippers BUT it is a bold statement that is being made. I am currently at the library (doing some writing) and walked into the coffee shop to grab some things...I heard a song on the radio and the lyrics said "Love is full of darkness"...yea that was the hook line :-/ I am WELL aware that love is the complete opposite....Love is full of LIGHT and LIFE however, I do realize that this is a concept that is generally accepted in our society. This is evident by the amount of times you hear the phrases "Love is Pain, Love Hurts, etc", the music that reemphasizes this, media, Hollywood relationships and even relationships that we see on a daily basis. The Problem is...it's NOT TRUE! It's a lie! A myth! Whatever, it's a False representation. Love first has to be defined and then measured from the proper lens....if we have an inaccurate view of what love is then we can't truly define the characteristics of love. Right? Right. Love is not something that is relative....although we often try to make it that way. Off of that soap box because that isn't even the point of this note.

It seems to me that over the last 2 years the world has become so intrigued with darkness, mystery, spirits, etc. and to some this may not be a big deal but....it really is! One thing that I have realized in my 25 years of life.....every action causes a reaction. The phrase that I grew up hearing "You can be whatever you want to be" has taken a turn for the worse! Back then that phrase told kids to excel, soar to your highest potential and now that phrase mean (according to Lady gaga) that if you want to be a cat....be a cat, if you want to be bubbles....be bubbles, etc. Yes, I do respect the thought that we should aspire to be different, set apart (that's actually a biblical principle...be ye not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind through Christ Jesus) BUT is this fantasy world really the way we want to be "different". Rihanna use to have a sweet island girl appeal but since her transformation into darkness her popularity has soared. There seems to be some connection to this darkness....some pull that makes people want to be a part of the mystery.

What's the Point?

My point is, this is the enemies way of distracting us from the love that God wants to show us. Genuine love that is unadulterated. So many people get caught up in this false "love" and think that it's as good as it gets. Darkness seems so appealing because our flesh is sinful. That's why it's so important that we live in the spirit (God). If the devil can distract us with music, fake love, unproductive relationships, etc don't you think he will do that? And the sad thing is because we are so imperfect it's so easy for us to be distracted. Sometimes we get off course and don't even realize that or when we got off. The best advice that I can give us (me included) is to keep our eyes on God. This goes against everything that our flesh desires....we want to play in the dark...until we truly see God. Then we realize that the light is where it's at! Satan comes ONLY to steal, kill and destroy.....don't ever think that he has something good in store for you. Sometimes we fall into his trap and he is laughing at us...LAUGHING! Take this visual with me, imagine someone who you thought was your friend...ya'll hang tight! Imagine that friend telling you to do something wrong but making it sound right...or fun..or whatever and you doing it. Then when you reap the consequences of your actions the friend laughs at you. Not a laugh like "i'm laughing with you and not at you" but the "i'm laughing at you because I control you and now look at you". Isn't that a hurtful thought...that's what we fall into when we get in the bed with Satan (or the world).

How about we make #light trend? Light is found in Christ.

This is extremely random. I guess I should get back to writing what I came here to write. Facebook is so distracting sometimes! eek!

Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your thoughts!


Kris