The Point of Total Surrender

Playing the victim has become extremely common amongst the women in the Christian community. Unfortunately, this has become "the" excuse for our inability to progress. I love to utilize examples to get my point across, so let me give you one:

A woman says to herself, "It appears that the other women in the church always exclude me from their conversations and activities. I get the feeling that they don't want me around."


The most important factor to consider in this example is not the pain that we may be experiencing (because I know it hurts!). The most important factors to consider are what we may have done that caused people not to want to be around us. Have we asked ourselves what type of company we are? Have we considered that the reason people don't want to be around us is because of us? In most cases, the answers to these questions is, "No".

We have lived the bulk of our lives holding on to what Mama taught us in Elementary School: "The other girls don't like you because they are jealous of you." Since you can't see me, I am going to show you what I (and everyone who you have convinced yourself is jealous of you) is doing while you are using this foolish mindset to help you make it through your day:

 

 
(Yes, you are being laughed at!)

Don't get me wrong, I believe there are people who are jealous of us; but it aint (yes, I said AINT) everybody! Most people don't want to be bothered with us because we are just plain crazy! And the Lord won't send us any "friends" because He knows we are going to kill them with our issues. Let me say it like Grandma might say it:
 

Guess what? I've got issues too! I spent years convincing myself that the "anointing upon my life" required that I be alone, when the truth was that I didn't have a clue what it meant to be a friend. (To be quite honest, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea!) Fortunately, God has began a work in me concerning my relationships. I have graduated in some areas and I suspect that by the time all is said and done, I will have the ability to be what a "friend" needs me to be. I stopped lying to myself about not needing anyone, and by the grace of God, He has allowed me to have what I consider to be my closest female friend in years. 

Admit it; you are the reason your relationships fail. If you are ready to do something about it, start by dealing with you. Once you have done that, give the Lord praise for making you into what you are asking Him to send you!


Later for now ladies.....


Jethena
 

Very few people have never experienced a moment when desire produced visible signs in their physical body. You know, signs like perspiration, mouth watering, sweaty palms, and rapid heart beat? For some, believe it or not, it was not desires sexual in nature which authored these symptoms. It was desire for something bigger than what they currently saw. Or better yet, desire simply to exit one place in their life and enter another.
It is this very desire that forms the tapestry of the lives of those who have gone on to achieve what we call greatness. The very people we teach about and make reference to in order to ignite a flame of inspiration in others are the very people who began with startling roots of simplicity. Those roots were desire. 
It may be kind of difficult to grasp the idea that you can reach mountain peaks and swim effortlessly through valleys simply because you want to; but it is true! I have recently had the privilege of reading stories of "rags to riches" based upon the lives of people who simply desired to change their then situation. For example, a woman who grew tired of being reprimanded by her hair stylist for not tying her hair in a satin scarf before going to bed decided she was going to create satin pillow cases. She started small but eventually begin embossing and adding personal touches to the pillow cases. People heard about her creation and began ordering from her at alarming rates! This woman's success has since then been overwhelming! 
I want to be clear in my writing concerning the type of desire I am referring to. It is not the desire which fluctuates in intensity based upon daily struggles. It is not the desire that shifts from one idea to another based upon things we see others doing. And it is not the desire that can be suffocated by doubting comments and unapproving glances.
I am referring to desire that burns in the pit of your stomach, keeping you awake at night and consuming your thoughts regardless of what season you find yourself in. When you truly desire something greater for yourself you will do more than think and talk; you will begin to move! 
I write this to you in hopes that your flame of passion and desire has been re-ignited! I write in hopes that you will make a choice to leap outside of the restraints you have allowed to be present in your life; and that you will know and understand the power God has planted in his children to alter their circumstances!     
Your change, my Sister and my Brother, begins with you!

I Love You
and
I Believe In You!

Your Sis,
Jethena N. Mitchell
p.s. I would love to hear about your endeavors!  Email me at: livingletters2010@yahoo.com

"On lock" is a slang term used to imply that someone or something has a particular situation under complete control and/or they are the very best at what they do on a professional level. Personally, I have heard this term used quite often as it refers to public figures who have achieved notable levels of success in certain fields. For example, I have heard someone say of Joyce Meyer, "Joyce Meyer has practical Biblical teaching 'on lock'!" Another example would be a statement made by an aquaintence of mine: "David and Nicole Binion have worship music 'on lock'!"
There are a large number of Christians who appear to have life "on lock". They have a way of making challenge and struggle look fairly easy. When you see them, you get the impression there is no storm that could cause them to sway. And it is obvious that they have indeed learned how to take a punch and keep on moving.
I know from personal experience that being unmoved by difficult situations is in fact fairly easy in the beginning of the "night". When the sun is just beginning to go down, we can look the approaching darkness in the face and declare every scripture we know while holding our head high and maintaining our integrity. But what happens when "night" lasts for a season? What happens when the joy that "cometh in the morning" lingers a bit longer than we expected?

I am currently learning to properly cope with "night seasons". I admit that it is an extremely painful and frustrating process; impossible to endure without the help of the Lord. Prior to this time in my life, there were some things I thought I had "on lock". Needless to say, I now know I don't have a thing "on lock"! I mean not ONE single thing! And guess what? It was through this season that I learned to be all right with this. I have also learned that carrying the belief that I possess the ability to have anything "on lock" (without the help of the Lord) makes me a prime candidate for entering a "night season"! Believe it or not, we were never meant to be self sufficient. God expects for us to need Him. He desires to be our Help. One definition of help is: "To supply what is needed." (emphasis mine) The word 'what' in the definition implies that there isn't anything He cannot help me with. 'What' literally means whatever I need for it to mean! (Glory to God!)

Later for now!

Jethena

 

"How many times have we heard people likening themselves to Job while they are in the midst of their suffering? Or maybe it was we who felt like Job when we found ourselves in a particular series of unfortunate events. Through the years we have honored Job for his strength and his ability to maintain his integrity. We quote him in our sermons, and we make reference to him in our teaching sessions on a regular basis. We magnify a portion of the story, but doing a study of the entire book of Job reveals some very interesting things. Job was stretched and pulled in various directions at the permission of the Lord, and the things he endured caused him to reach a place in God many people declare they have reached when in reality they have not.

One of the most difficult feelings for me to articulate is loss of control. The best way for me to make an attempt would be to liken it to driving a car. You are headed in one direction, fully persuaded you know where you are going and what will or will not happen once you get there. You have the map. You drive this road all the time. You know it like the back of your hand. But what happens when the unexpected comes? What happens when there is construction in the road for which a sign has not been posted? Or when there is a pothole up ahead that would be clearly visible to the alert driver but easily overlooked by the driver who “knows the road”?

We want to feel that we can maneuver things in our lives according to our desires. When the ability to do so seems to be gone, we don’t know what to do. Obviously, we have never told God we want to be in control, but reality is we live our lives as if we expect things to run according to our plans, and when the things we normally say and do begin to lose effectiveness, we find it difficult to cope. This way of thinking often applies to our own situations, but it can apply to our interactions with others as well. We expect to speak the words that will cause people to come leaping out of their situations, and if our words or declarations seem to be ineffective we don’t know what to do.

I discovered I had been in control of my life. I did and said things with the expectation it would cause the results I wanted. I knew if I did A and B, I would get C. So I continued this pattern. I repeated it in my marriage, raising my children, in ministry, and in my relationships. I was in control. Needless to say, the Lord was not happy with this! Do you know what He did? He threw a monkey wrench in the plan! All of a sudden, A and B produced G. So I said to myself, Maybe if I do B and then A, I’ll get C. Well, B and A then produced Z! I was totally confused. I was doing what I had always done. I was saying what I had always said. Just like Job, I had a routine....."

Want to read the rest? You have to wait for the book! Sorry....



Thena
 

Daddy, Mama and I

I don’t know if its age or what, but I have decided that carrying anything which is not absolutely necessary in order to make it to my next destination is out of the question. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of being un-necessarily burdened down! And just the thought of losing weight causes the corners of my mouth to curl up into a smile. The very IDEA of being lighter on my feet gives me the ability to exhale! The pain of my past is not going to keep me in bondage. I have decided to continually remind myself of the good times.
Remembering good times always brings a smile to my face. Actually…it makes me laugh. You know, those deep belly laughs that cause tears to fill your eyes? Yeah, that kind of laugh! The crazy part is, some of the strangest memories bring me the most joy! I remember Sunday mornings, when my Dad would fry bacon and rush my brother and I off to Sunday School. (Daddy always made sure we were in church!) I remember Saturday morning cartoons and Daddy‘s terrible impressions of Yogi Bear! I remember cheerleading for my older brothers football team. I remember roasting hotdogs and marshmellows with my cousins and creating dance routines (Crisha was the worst of us all!). I remember playing Barbie dolls with my friends in Meadow Brook. I remember Tuesday and Thursday when my Dad would pick me up from school. He always hid surprises for me in his lunch box. (So that’s where that honey bun habit came from!) Yeah, I remember. And every single time I take a few moments to recollect those good times, the bad times drift further and further away.
As I am typing this, I am remembering more recent good times that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have been blessed to know some wonderful people. I'm sure that by now you are remembering some good times of your own!  Remembering can be a wonderful experience when you choose to remember the good.


I  U!

Jethena