Coffee & Girl Talk

Hello everyone and Hello to Sunday morning! It’s a crisp 55 degrees here this morning, but the high is supposed to get up to 76…with thunderstorms! I can remember when I was a child, sitting out on the porch with a blanket watching it storm. Once the lightning started, I remember my brothers and I couldn’t get in fast enough LOL, scared little chickens!!HAHA! Which brings me to a time that it was storming here when Brooklyn was smaller. We were under the garage watching the lightning and she jumps up in my arms and says, “That will burn my toes.” Girls, at that moment, I thought I was going to laugh myself to death. I pure had to sit down and catch my breath!! The things kids say!

I thought about how quick that lightning came and how quickly it disappears. Lightning strikes and within an instant, it is gone, but if it hits something the damage can be horrendous. This takes me to how we treat others and how we have been treated in the past.

One person can damage you to the point you have no or little self-esteem, you find it hard to make a decision, or you look at yourself as a failure. Worse- someone can make you feel ugly, overweight, no one would want you other than them, and so on. I think you get the picture!

I’m here to tell you that you are perfectly made. You are exquisite in your design, for you were made by God. God does not look at the outside, he looks on the inside. Look how many people out there are very attractive people outwardly, but their actions make them ugly! You have probably heard that God is Love. Well, that is true! Only LOVE could look inside a human heart, push aside the hurt, the brokenness, the loneliness, shake off confusion and doubt, then dust off the edges to find the TRUE YOU! The beautiful YOU that he envisioned long before you were born.

I mentioned my brothers earlier, so let me bring them back into this blog. My brothers were very close and still are and when I came along, I was the baby sister who was in the way. I was the chubby sister, oh my gosh…girls, I was the ugly duckling and boy I didn’t care. Until they started pointing it out and boy they didn’t waste one day without letting me know how “wrong” I was in my appearance. This led to me being bashful, I hid behind my mother’s skirt when out in public and pouted about going in public. I was not comfortable anywhere except with my mom and dad.

Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

As I grew up, they stopped picking on me and we ended up building strong relationships. But I will never forget the turmoil I felt when I was a child. I can remember riding in the car with my mom, I couldn’t have been no more than 7 years old, telling my mom about how the boys treated me. She listened and then she said this…”They pick on you because they know it gets to you. Act like it doesn’t bother you and they will quit.” I’m sure I looked out the window and rolled my eyes and thought FAT CHANCE!

The next time I got picked on by my brothers, I acted like it didn’t bother me. Then I said, “you guys are just jealous because I’m Mama and Daddy’s favorite!” They never called me names again after that, in fact, they started treating me more like a friend and not an outsider. (Sometimes I think my Dad stepped in and put some fear in the boys about treating me better LOL) We had our times, don’t get me wrong – but overall- things were much better. I never let them bother me again and I developed a tough skin to bullying.

1 Peter 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

That taught me how to ignore what people in high school or in the workplace, or even on social media would say. And it made me be extra sensitive to people’s feelings. So sensitive, I cannot stand the thought of hurting another person. Have I failed at this from time to time? Yes! But, those lessons learned at a young age, taught me how to humble myself and ask forgiveness and that was worth my brothers ganging up on me.

As I grew up and matured, I realized that people hurt others for a few reasons. Either they are jealous, they are hurt and want others to be miserable, or they are being led by the devil (unknowingly) to hurt you so you will not be all that the Lord would have you to be.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.

Let’s talk about the lightning for a moment. A word from someone can either strike like a bolt of lightning and never touch you. You totally ignore it and move on like nothing was ever said. But if someone throws out the right word, a straight up lie, or tries to tear you down in any kind of way – it can be a lightning bolt that hits home and burns your home to the ground. How do we stop this?

Learn scriptures, memorize the Word of God, holler out “Not Today Satan-Not Today!! All this can be controlled through the actions we take. I’m not saying roll over and take it, but let God fight your battles. Stand strong on His Word. Vengeance is mine sayth the Lord!

Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” says the Lord.

Show love, show compassion, show acceptance and judge no one. For me, that is the best way to show Christ inside of me. He is love, and I should show that love to everyone I meet. No matter where they are from, how much they have, how little they have, or what mistakes they have made…show LOVE!

A lady was in our Boutique this week looking at some readers, I walked up to her trying to help and was telling her how much I loved my readers I bought from there. She never acknowledged I was standing there, so I made another comment. She never glanced over (and I was standing a foot from her-she HAD to hear and see me), so I said, “OK if you need any help we are here to assist.” My first thought was, ” How RUDE”. After a while, I shrugged it off to that’s just the type of person she is. Then I thought, how horrible that must feel way down deep inside her somewhere- it had to be misery…

Have you seen anyone with JOY, true joy and happiness disregard people like they were no more than a used napkin? NO! So, no matter if someone you loved has hurt you, you are the topic of office gossip – who cares??!! They do not clear the path for your destiny – God does! And he can do more in a blink of an eye than thousands of us can in a thousand lifetimes!

You are made in His image, God makes no mistakes, he makes everything perfect, and He sees the perfect in YOU! He sees the potential and you are still breathing today because you still have PURPOSE! Don’t let the naysayers take your joy! Reach out and grab His hand and walk your path of life He has already made for you! Be blessed and know that you are all in my prayers! XOXO

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