Open Mic Night

So, last night was my first time EVER reciting a poem. Man, I went through a lot to get there. LOL you might be able to hear my voice cracking.. I think I was about to cry mid-way through. SMH LOL When I tell you, the enemy was attacking me... it was some serious stuff...But the hand and grace of God led me to continue on despite the tribulations that came my way. I cried, I was very sad before I even got there.. it was just a MESS but my girls Brittany "Monique" -- she's the one who comes on after me -- and Vania definitely tried their best to get my spirit back up... with prayer and patience, I built up the courage to let go of those emotions and the events that took place and got on stage... strangely enough.. The poem and what happened that night coincide with one another..ANYWAY...here's my new poem .. "Myself"..

Myself.. I need freedom from... myself

Because, myself... is always doing something else

That contradicts Your Holy word

See my heart, has been so disturbed, Caught up in the lusts of the world,

I was almost at the point of NO return

I was almost at the point of NO return

I was almost at the point of NO return

Which way did he go George, which way did he go?

Got me going in circles now I don't know

Which way is which, because now I'm in a pit

Confusion [amiss]

Dag! I fell for his trick

Once again here we go, Same ol' same ol' Puppet show

But THIS time, now I know it's

Myself, LORD free me from... myself

Because myself, is realizing that I need some help

Help to break away the chains, This program is old, it needs to change

No longer can I stay the same

No longer can I stay the same

No longer WILL I stay the same

It's dark in here, BUT I can see a light, It's so small, but yet so bright

So, on that day... I chose to be free

LORD Jesus PLEASE save me! Holy Spirit move inside of me!

The Godhead is 3, the most powerful source, Those chains were broken, with a mighty force

And now, myself, is free from myself

Because, now I know it's not JUST myself

God dwells in THIS temple I had to die to self

God dwells in THIS temple I had to die to self

God dwells in YOUR temple you have to die to self

Pride, and hatred, vanity and gratification

I made a vow to deny fornication

The old me, is gone, I've been made a new creature

Now I stand among those few peculiar people

As You continuously mold me into Your, Original masterpiece

Now myself, is finally free...and at peace

Daily Devotion: Choice Men

"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." ~Isaiah 48:10

It is no mean thing to be chosen of God. So eminent is this privilege, that whatever drawback may be joined to it we very joyfully accept it. We choose the furnace since God chooses us in it.
      We are chosen as an afflicted people and not as a prosperous people: chosen not in the palace, but in the furnace. In the furnace beauty is marred, strength is melted, glory is consumed, and yet here eternal love reveals its secrets and declares its choice. So has it been in our case. In times of severest trials, God has made to us our calling and election plain.We have chosen the Lord to be our God, and He has shown that we are assuredly His chosen.
        Therefore, if today the furnace be heated seven times hotter, we will not dread it, for the glorious Son of God will walk with us amid the glowing coals.

This is an excerpt from a book called...
"One-Minute Devotions FAITH'S CHECKBOOK" by: Charles H. Spurgeon

My mom gave me this as one of my gifts for my birthday and wow... it has definitely been blessing me. If you can find it, I suggest you buy it! Mine is a little smaller...more like "Tote size" and has a nice ribbon place holder, it has the same design though :-)

♥Mari

WOW... Please watch...

"This video is for church people.."

-Nate Pfeil

Wow.. we serve a merciful God right..? We have a choice.. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" Deuteronomy 30:19 Praise. The. Lord. PTL

♥Mari

God's chisel

This is an awesome video entitled "God's Chisel" by The Skit Guys. It's a bit of a tear jerker, and it has truly blessed me. So many of us carry dead weight [burdens] around like it's a trophy. I pray that you will view this video with an open heart.

Man, this video SPEAKS VOLUMES!! I think this is saying that you, yourself, cannot free yourself from the strongholds of sin. From the feelings of pride, guilt, comparison, laziness, lust, low self-esteem, depression etc. we are only human, and oftentimes we don't even see the sin that we live in because we were made to believe that it is OK. We have to ALLOW God to cleanse us of our sins no matter how painful it may be to let the past go. Ultimately, we are to be images of Christ. When the world looks at  *us* they should see light in the midst of darkness.

God is so amazing, and so faithful! He knows EVERYTHING that we go through. He knows everything that we have been through, and he wants to help us SO badly, sometimes however, we often feel like we can do it on our own. But being that we are not all-powerful and all-knowing, we cannot fix our problems on our own.
When it is all said and done, God knows who WE are.. Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. [KJV] That's a scary thought to know that God knows our heart, what man cannot see, know that it is not hidden from God. He knows the intentions of our hearts...that's why change should always start from the inside, and we must humble ourselves to allow God to chastise us and move us to truly repent... from the HEART. Thank you Jesus... We serve an AWESOME God!!

The High Calling of God

**I came across this note on Facebook via Jose Palos. This has really...blessed my lifeeeee!! So glad I read it [much needed read]. Be content with who YOU are in Christ.. no two stories are alike, no two walks are alike... once again, be content with WHO YOU are in Christ...!**


OTHERS MAY, YOU CANNOT - G. D. Watson
If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature. The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you. God will take you at your word; if you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.

- G. D. Watson

Don't reprimand judge me..!!

This is all IN LOVE you guys, if you get mad, it's conviction...receive it...and just.. read your Bible.. PLEASE!!

Okay, so... I've been seeing/hearing/getting this a lot... "But the Bible says 'Do not judge' .." uhm.. okay... but...is that the only sentence you've read out Bible... obviously it must be because if you read after "Judge not, that ye be not judged" [Matthew 7:1--one of the MOST POPULAR scriptures for lukewarm believers lol] you would know it goes on to say: Matthew 7:3-5 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." OK so..what is this saying?? DO NOT pass judgment on your brothers and sisters if you are doing those same things..or even worse things yourself.  Otherwise, that would make you a HYPOCRITE!!

Check this out Psalm 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. --> WOW... well look-a-there! The LORD... LOVES judgment...!! :-o  Now look at this Psalm 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. Is it starting to hurt yet?? hahaha =^)

I Corinthians 5:11-13 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." So..what is this saying?? If YOU call yourself a Christian/brethren but you participate in worldly, sinful activities, it is OK for your brethren [your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ] to tell you what you are doing is wrong! Mmm Mmm, this spiritual food sure is GOOD!! :-P

CONTRADICTION ALERT: when you say "do not judge me," aren't you judging me [or the person suspected of passing judgment] by saying I'm judging you?? LOL so...you're being a hypocrite yourself when you tell someone not to judge YOU, yet you JUDGE THEM by saying they're judging you...!! Stop using the whole "don't judge me" defense just so you can continue to live in sin.

Moreover, for all you LUKEWARM believers... who use the whole "the Bible says Do not judge" and "God knows my heart" justifications.. here's something for YOU!! :) Revelations 3:15-16 "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." You cannot call yourself a Christian and say you love God, but you live in sin and you ENJOY your selfish sinful pleasures and get high off self-gratification. C'MON CHURCH!! WE have got to do better. WE are the body! [I Corinthians 12:12] And my brother, my sister, I'm here to help YOU, and I want YOU to help ME! Correct me when I am wrong and I will do the same for you. It's all out of love you guys. If you KNEW better, you'd DO better. SO please people, read your Bible. You can even read the Bible online now...it's so easily accessible so there is really NO excuse. SEEK wisdom, accept the truth, make a change, and move forward!!

I LOVE y'all!!
♥ Mari

What does "Oatmeal & CinnamonSugar" MEAN!?

Since people have been asking...here it is... :)

So... Oatmeal is something that is good for you, right? I believe majority of us were forced, or willingly ate oatmeal when we were younger. In order to make oatmeal more pleasant, some added sugar, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon sugar, strawberries, et cetera. So, in this case, I'm bringing to my readers something that is good for them...and I add a bit of sweetness to help it go down easier. I pray that with my boldness, yet touch of sweetness, it will reach those who tend to straddle the fence and realize that being a lukewarm believer just won't cut it.

Oatmeal = The Truth
Cinnamon Sugar = Love