Til’ Next Time, Adieu

PWEN people! It has been a delight and an absolute joy to write to all of you over the past year. I believe Jesus has really used to this platform to help encourage and inspire people and I’m grateful to have been used as a vessel for His glory. Because of the vision of Sharise Erby, me, a girl broken by the passing of her mother, was given a voice to speak and relate to other broken people, as we all heal toward wholeness in Christ. Sharise’s generosity, allowed me to grow as a writer and as a person. Learning to share of myself and my life, made me more open to receive in the same way from others. Thank you for all of that and more Sharise!

With that said, I wanted to let you all know that this will be my last writing as PWEN’s official blogger. It has been a truly wonderful experience but now the Holy Spirit has let me know that this chapter has closed. When Holy Spirit speaks, you have to listen! I also wanted to let you know that all of your feedback about my writing has meant so much to me over the past year. Hearing your stories and what you relate to in what Jesus laid in my heart to write about, reminds me of how important it is to be obedient and simply give Jesus your ‘yes.’ You never know the lives you can affect that way. Thank you for sharing space with me and allowing me to open up my heart in ways I never thought I could. You gave me community during a very difficult time in my life and I’ll always cherish you for it. Thank you and adieu!

Don’t Quit!

A few days ago I was almost in a head-on collision. It was a little after 4am, and I was riding my electric bike on my way to work. The accident almost happened when I was at the bottom of a hill and a car was making a sharp left turn. On this day, I forgot to turn my lights on and didn’t have on a reflective vest, so the driver couldn’t see me until I braked hard. As result of my braking, there was about a foot and a half of space between my body and the car.

At first, I contemplated quitting everything. Quitting riding my bike and quitting California. I wanted to quit riding my bike because I thought about what if scenarios instead of seeing how Jesus saving me this time ensures that there won’t be a next time. I wanted to quit California because of the near death experience but I forgot that the fact that I’m still alive means that what the enemy meant for evil, Jesus worked it out for my good.

In 2nd Corinthians, Apostle Paul talks about godly sorrow. Godly sorrow is used to describe hard things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to reflect on decisions made and do what we can to make things right the next time around. Godly sorrow gives us a zeal and a clear understanding for what is needed out of us to be better and do better. I had to acknowledge that what happened was not just to me but was also partially my fault. I may have had on my helmet but forgetting to turn on my lights and failing to purchase and have on a reflective vest, left me wide open for a potential accident.

In prayer, I said that I wanted to do and be better, and sweet Jesus gave me the tools for freedom. When I first shared what had happened to me, the Lord laid it on one person’s heart to get me a reflective vest and on another person’s heart to help me put together a safer bike route so I won’t have to be on so many roads with cars. On my end, I continued to employ what I learned from my bike safety class and now a few days later, I’m healed much more toward wholeness. Had I quit everything, I would not be able to experience the joy of seeing Jesus show up for me and grow me even in this situation.

Sometimes we want to quit something because it brought us pain or it brought down our confidence level. Don’t Quit! Jesus is on the other side of that hurt waiting to heal you. Don’t Quit! Jesus is working on your behalf to raise you up and make you new from that old situation. He has overcome everything that could ever come against you! You just have to keep going. Keep charging past what attempted to break you. Adieu.

Body Positive

Hey PWEN people!

With summertime right around the corner and people making plans for vacations and getting into shape, I wanted to talk to you about body positivity. I know we’ve all heard the phrase thrown around before but body positivity is “a social movement focused on the acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, and physical abilities.”

I bring up this topic because as the sun gets hotter, we tend to be more self-conscious as well as more self-critical about the bodies that God has given us. One of the first times that I was seriously trying to lose weight in my youth, I had a very toxic habit. I would look in the mirror for several minutes poking at every piece of fat, every dent, and stretch mark that I saw, then I would spend even more time hurling out insults about the way I looked. I would follow this up with a “go hard” workout at the gym and wonder why I couldn’t get it together.

Though I had the getting myself healthier by going to the gym part right, I spoke death over the body that was meant to carry out the fitness mission. Just as I’ve done this, I know many of you have too and we’ve got to stop it. The words we speak in general but especially over our bodies aren’t light. They are heavy and carry the weight of our God who created us in His image.

In first Corinthians 15:43 Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the church of Corinth that “our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.” Our bodies along with our words, are powerful, can be transformed, and are important to Jesus. Our bodies help us carry out purpose in Christ and are worthy of our respect. I submit to you today that if you change your language about your body, you’ll change your life.

As Apostle Paul said, our bodies are buried, as in laid to rest, in brokenness but are the raised again in GLORY! I know that our bodies can have us feeling broken but don’t fret! You don’t have to stay in that brokenness; you can and will transform. From brokenness to glory says the word of God! Apostle Paul also said that our bodies are buried in weakness and raised in strength. What this says to me is that there is strength on the other side of the struggle that we have with our bodies.

Once again your body can and will transform but it has to start with the words that we speak over ourselves. I might not have the 6-pack that I want yet but I refuse to continue to curse the body that Jesus freed me for. One day it will become the positive things that we’re speaking and wanting to see it as.

Til’ next time adieu.