Behind The Veil: Hidden In Singleness

I’ve been single for a little over three years and sometimes I feel like I’m in hiding. Not on purpose or by choice. I just don’t get approached my men who are looking for relationships. I’m not going to lie; singleness can be lonely and even frustrating. I have experienced a roller coaster of emotions. The highest point is when I was Miss Independent. You know the kind. The type of woman who claims she doesn’t need a man. She’s good on her own. Then at my lowest point when I was feeling down, insecure and believing the enemies lies that I was unlovable. Then I’d have months of coasting going through the days of singleness trying to “cope.” I’d sometimes pray for my future husband to appear the next day as if God was a genie in a bottle.

In a women’s Christian conference I attended called Pinky Promise, one of the speakers, Allyson Rowe, did a sermon about singleness. One thing she said that hit me was that “there is a spiritual attack on the identity of a single women.” Society may look at single women as if we are defeated or pity singles for the lack of a companion.

This causes discontentment and I sometimes find myself trying to fix myself as if I am defected. In an attempt to “fix” myself, I signed up for an online dating site. I knew the minute I finished my online dating profile and went “live” that I was working outside of God’s will. It was solely my flesh and my discontentment that got me to this website to begin with. My flesh convinced me that I was missing out and I needed to put myself out there. The first night I got so many likes, messages, and views. For me, someone who was in hiding for three years, this was an overwhelming experience. My spirit was unsettled and I was not really at peace, but I decided to test it out a little longer.

I got messages from men who were not looking for anything serious, just a good time. Heather Lindsey would call these men – randoms. These are men who were set in my path to cause distraction and to get me off track with God. I had my profile up for two weeks before I deleted it.

Then I realized God did not just hide me from these randoms, He was protecting me from the enemy’s distractions, lies, discontentment, lustful desires, sexual immorality, fornication and ungodly dating. He was covering me from all the spiritual turmoil that comes in an unequally yoked relationship (2 Corinthians 6:14). These experiences also made me think of 1 Corinthians 10:23:

“‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up.”

This made me think of a wedding veil. It hides the brides face during the wedding until her husband lifts it up to seal the vows with a kiss. Just like that veil, God is covering me until my future husband finds me. Until then, I will trust and wait patiently for my Mr. Right.

XO,

Patrice
patrice@areyoushe.com

Check out Allyson Rowe’s YouTube Video on singleness-

Pic credit- Unsplashed

SHE Spotlight: Miracle Reed

We were blessed with the opportunity to sit down with Miracle Reed, to interview her for our ARE YOU SHE spotlight series. Miracle is a dynamic woman of God who is dedicated to serving God through ministry, evangelism, books and just her everyday life.

Miracle’s Bio

Miracle Reed is a native of Pittsburgh, PA and has been committed to serving God as well as people since 1994 at the age of 7! She was born 3 months premature, weighing 1.6lbs at birth, placing her in the 20^th percentile of babies who survive weighing a little over a pound. Not only did the “Great Physician” take over but He allowed the life of one, to prove to all those who would meet her, that nothing is impossible with God. There is no wonder why her name is Miracle!

Under the leadership of Donald Clay- Senior Pastor of Petra International Ministries (a congregation of 1,500 at the time), Miracle ministered her first official sermon at the age of 7 years. This was only a small glimpse of what was to come but yet another indicator that a series of miraculous events would follow her life. Shortly following her first sermon, it was a known fact that Miracle was no average child but indeed called and set aside to inspire and represent God.

It was certainly apparent from the very beginning that her life would be an inspiration to many. She is a graduate of the Marilyn J. Davis School of the Bible where she received her license for ministry as well as a diploma in the Bible. She is also a graduate of Geneva College where she completed her undergraduate studies, receiving Bachelor degrees in both Biblical Studies and Human Services. Her obedience, passion and love for God have given her the opportunities to not only preach, but counsel and pastor in the United States, Caribbean, Canada and now in Africa. She is the author of multiple books including:

• When God Vetoes Your Plan 
• Living Out Loud in a Silent World

She recently developed PO₂ (People Overcoming Obstacles) which is a movement that brings forth healing, complete wholeness, family restoration, and inspiration to people around the world that have lost sight of their ability to “overcome obstacles” by conducting workshops, seminars and educational teachings made available through her website.

She believes that the only limit in life is that which we create and that one must be open to God without restraints, to truly live without limits.

So without further a due, let’s meet Miracle!

 

Glean Girl: Are You Too Good For Leftovers?

In my quiet time the other day, God placed a word in my heart “glean.” I’ve heard this term in the book of Ruth but I didn’t quite know what it meant. 

The dictionary definition is-

“Gather (leftover grain or other produce) after the harvest.”

Then I looked up the word “glean”  on bible hub and found this.

“The act of gathering after reapers” (usually reserved for the poor).

In Ruth 2:2-23, Ruth was gleaning in the field in order to provide for her and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Though gleaning is not the idle job,  it was a noble job. In this season of Ruth’s life she just lost her husband and she is living in a new land. Instead of going home to what was familiar she decided to go to Judah with Naomi and to follow God.

When she got to Judah she went to the Boaz’s fields to glean hoping to get enough for her and Naomi to live off of. While the reapers took the majority of the harvest, those who glean took what was left over. Usually, the ones who glean are the poor or less fortunate. They have to set aside their pride and take what’s left. Essentially, they had to do what they had to do to survive.

Do you ever feel like you’re gleaning in the field while everyone else is reaping the rewards of the harvest? I sometimes feel like I am gleaning in the field doing work that is not as fun, rewarding or ideal.  Some examples of this are:

• Working at a job that is not in your career field but it’s where God has you for a season
•  Taking on two jobs for a season to help provide for a loved one

It appears that those people being blessed outwardly are the reapers and those who glean are in the field work hard for nothing. However, leftovers are blessings too. You don’t need a lot to experience God’s presence and  grace. All He wants is all of you. But if those who glean are not aware it will seem like God is blessing everyone else but them. They will weigh them down and feel like a chore and they will not be grateful for their leftovers. If the person who gleans was not aware of the blessing God has in store, they will become discontent. They may be jealous of the reaper or try to do their own things to fix this season.

Then I had to remember gleaning was just a temporary season for Ruth and it will be for me too. Ruth had her eyes fixed on God not on the world. She did what she had to do to survive and praised God for what she had. She was a hard worker with a good work ethic. The harvest overseer noticed that and when Boaz asked, the overseer relayed Ruth’s reputation to Boaz. By chapter 4, Boaz asked Ruth to marry him and the rest is history.

So my sister in Christ, your blessing may not be a husband it may be a new job, promotion or new opportunity, but we must remember to remain encouraged and trust God in this season while we glean. We should not underestimate the power of God even in our season of gleaning. He has a master plan for your life. Trust him and don’t  let pride get in the way of your blessing. Here are 3 steps to keep in mind while we glean.

1.) Follow Christ

Ruth 1: 16 “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.'”

2.) Work as if you are working for God and give praise to God for what you have. 

Ruth 2: 6-7 “And the foreman replied, ‘She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.’”

Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

3.) Your best is yet to come.  

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” 

A woman at my job once told me, “Sometimes it’s best to bloom where you are planted. Work hard where you are and the rest will fall into place.”

So sis, no matter what season you’re in make sure you GLEAN!

By Patrice McKenzie
patrice@areyoushe.com

Photo Cred- Pexel and Lindsay Garvin

You Have A Title, But Do You Know Your Name?

For years, I was so focused on having a “quality ” job. When I was in college I strategically planned out my professional career path. I wanted to make sure my resume was golden. I packed my life with extracurricular activities, leadership positions on campus, and other things for accolades. I wanted to prove I was worthy of an awesome job. I saw how my older sister struggled to get a quality job right out of college during the recession and I vowed to myself to never let my circumstances determine my outcome. I had paid internships at large companies, became an RA on campus and during my last year, I decided to squeeze in a second job. In other words; I was a hustler.

All this paid off, and when I graduated from college in 2012 I had a great job, awesome benefits and a salary making over $40K- straight out of college! I was at the prime of my life. I was 22 years old living the “American Dream.” Until one day my “American Dream,” my job, was shaken. Everything I knew was in a state of uncertainty. My faith wavered and the enemy got into my head. I was diagnosed with depression and my doctor put me on an anti-depressant. I felt like I was living without being alive. It was a very dark time in my life and really felt distant from God. Since I was down I was unable to seek God, I decided to chase another job. One with more money and more security…..so I thought. I ran to a job that paid $50K a year. The money was great but the work was not. It was a sales job, and they were more concerned with profit rather than people. There were some unethical things going on. I only lasted there for a few months before I finally decided to leave. So long story short I went from making 40k, to 50k, to being unemployed in less than a year.

I’m not going to lie, I was torn up! I had to move back to my parents’ house in my hometown, sleeping in my childhood bed. At 23 years old I was at my lowest point. And that’s when God began to break me. For weeks, I didn’t sleep regularly. I stayed up all night and day applying for jobs. I kept trying to get out of my current situation, without seeing God as my main source of help. Even though I was going to church, reading scripture I wasn’t truly applying it. So when I was applying for jobs I got turned down each time. It wasn’t until God revealed to me what my underlined confliction was- Pride.

I prided myself on my job titles, my accolades, and all my other accomplishments. I thought surely if I held these job titles at other companies, another company would want me. When job hunting got me nowhere, God had to humble me. He had to show me I do not control my destiny, He does. He had to show me a job title was not my identity.

“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

I read scripture after scripture on pride and humbleness. I also had to read about plans and patience. Then I began to fast and seek the Lord in prayer. I didn’t realize what a strong hold pride and patience were for me. By being unemployed for a few months, I was blessed with this time to grow spiritually. Even though it didn’t feel like a blessing at the time, I now know it was all in God’s plan. God was keeping me the whole time.

Now I know a job title doesn’t define me- it’s whatever God calls me that matters. He titles me and gives me a name, which is way greater than any title a job can give me.

7 Names God Calls Me:

1. He calls me chosen. 

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

2. He calls me beloved.

“The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.” (Deuteronomy 33:12)

3. He calls me His child.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

4. He calls me friend.

“… but I have called you friends…” (John 15:15)

5. He calls me His workmanship.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

6. He calls me His treasured possession.

“The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6)

7. He calls me His daughter.

“And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18)

So sis, before you let a job stress you out, before you go chase the next job with a more prestigious title remember this- God has already named you. You are a child of God. Don’t forget that.

Love you all!

Stay blessed,

Patrice McKenzie
patrice@areyoushe.com

Source- http://www.whatjoyismine.net

Photo-Create Her Stock

We Are Under Attack: Three Ways To Prepare For War

The Bible describes Satan in different ways. It describes him as a serpent (Genesis 3:1), a murderer (Psalm 106:37), a dragon (Revelation 12: 9) and a father of lies (John 8:44). His desire is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10) and ultimately cause us to turn away from God. When we read about him in scripture we know Satan is no good. So why do we invite the enemy into our homes, jobs and minds? You might say, “What?! I don’t invite him into my life, I’m saved.” But that’s the thing -it is the saved that are under attack and sometimes we let Satan in without even knowing. We are at war and Satan is our enemy. The good news is that we have God fighting with us and for us. With God we’ve already won the battle! However, this will not stop Satan from tryng to come in. So, we must fight with prayer and supplication in order to defeat the enemy.

 

For my church’s women’s bible study, we are reading this amazing book called Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. I’m only on the second chapter and I’m already ready to war; war against the enemy. Fervent is mainly about prayer. Prayer is our weapon of choice when going against the enemy. It’s not only meant to combat war, it is also our way to express our trust in God. In turn, our trust in Him will increase. By increasing our trust in His plan we are also increasing our faith. The Bible says- “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” Mathew 21:22 (NLT) And the enemy knows this! He knows if we pray more our faith will grow. So to decrease our faith he distracts us from prayer. How many times have you got on your knees to pray and all of sudden your phone goes off, or your mind starts racing about other things? These distractions are not coincidences. They are strategies from the enemy. So how do you prepare for the enemies attacks and block his tactics? Here are three ways to prepare for war-

1.) Praying with precession

Priscilla suggested praying with precession to remove distractions. Focus on areas where we know the enemy is attacking. It could be focused prayer on family, friends, job, children, school or whatever. I prayed for my time crunch constraints. I thought I was too busy for  prayer.  I prayed about this and gave this concern to God. I am now able to get up earlier and pray. I even found a church by my job that opens for their sanctuary for prayer. I like to go there during my lunch break. So now I have time in the middle of the day to pray without the urge to rush through the prayer. I feel at peace during prayer now and I can focus on being in His presence while spending time with Him.

2.) Exercise your prayer life

Another great thing about prayer is that it doesn’t just increase our trust in God, it also makes us dangerous and a threat to the enemy. We become prepared soldiers in this war ready for combat. We become a threat to the enemy’s kingdom. A few of my friends are in the army and they told me about the preparation and training they had to do for a career in the armed forces. Gurgling boots camps, long days of training and a lot of exercise, to test endurance. They endured weeks and weeks of this preparation beforehand. Why? To prepare for a possible attack. This is what we need to do in our prayer life. We need to exercise our faith with prayer. We need to have prayer and worship “boot camps” to make sure we can endure the attacks that will come with the enemy’s strategies.

3.) Get intimate with God

Lastly, prayer not only increases faith, but it allows us to grow deeper in fellowship with God. It is an intimate experience with God. These prayers will change our insides and also manifest outwardly. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 16 (NIV) When we pray we are able to able grow close to God. It’s the one on one quality time with God that allows us to connect. The more time you fill with Him the more you will be able to hear His voice, feel the Holy Spirit and understand your purpose. When you don’t spend time with Him  you won’t know Him. We cannot get so caught up in the religion that we forget the relationship.

So ladies, I encourage you all to keep striving and living for God, remain prayerful and trust God. Build a relationship with God and know that with God on our side the enemy has already been defeated.

By Patrice McKenzie
patrice@areyoushe.com

Photos: sistersevolve.com & christianbook.com

 

 

Overcoming The Enemy.

 

If there’s anything we’re guaranteed in life — it’s trials.

But we don’t have to live through life defeated when we get assaulted by the enemy.

Christ came to give us life and life more abundantly.

Unfortunately, many of us aren’t living this way.

Why?

Because we haven’t had the revelation Jesus gave us power to overcome the enemy.

Don’t believe me?

Just read Luke 10:18:

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

That’s the scripture the Spirit led me to after I had a powerful dream about going to the next level spiritually.

By Sydni Grant

sydni@areyoushe.com