Seize the Moment
Current Mood:
Blessed & 
Happy
Life is so precious. Every day that we wake up is a gift from God. The air that we breathe signifies God’s promise of life to us. This is the reason that our lives should not be wasted. Every day presents a new opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for our lives.
How many times have we heard someone say, “I wish I would have done that…” or “If only I had pursued that…” We must live our lives with no regret. And in order to really be successful, we must take risks. Taking risks involve truly listening and taking action on what God tells us to do. We must be attentive to God’s voice.
In order to even begin to live the promises of God and live our lives to the fullest, we must have faith. Faith is the foundation of everything; it is the reason that God created us and the origin of life lessons. I guess we do have to be a little crazy to really follow through on God’s orders. But we must also recognize that the Lord’s ways are certainly not ours, and God does not want us to live with regret. He wants us to have the promises of heaven right here on earth. To live this life requires diligence and work, as referenced in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
Our lives are filled with purpose, that’s simply how God created them. So we must live each day with that mentality. Nothing should be taken for granted. Sometimes living our lives to the fullest requires us to completely change and leave behind everything we know and are familiar with. Don’t discourage over God’s orders because He is always looking out for our good. Please know that it is the Lord’s desire for us to enjoy life, why else would He have blessed us with such an awesome gift?
In Mark 10: 28 – 30, Jesus very plainly explains the reward of our faith in seizing the moment, “Then Peter began to mention all that he and the other disciples had left behind. ‘We’ve given up everything to follow you,’ he said. And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and property – with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life.’”
So there you have it. Any way you look at it, study it, examine the Word, God wants us to live fully, prosperously and joyfully. BUT this can only be done by listening to His voice and studying His Word. So what are you waiting for? Seize the moment!
Simply Put, JUST OBEY GOD (Even in seemingly insignificant matters)
Filed under: Family Life, Godly Principles, Holiness & Sanctification, Inspirational Articles, Testimonies, The Faith Walk, Word of Exhortation, Words of Encouragement
Current Mood: Anointed & Blessed & 
Highly Favored & On Fire 4 God! & 
Righteous Indignation
I woke up this morning thinking to myself, “I am so blessed.” You see, God is so off-the-chain, so awesomely good and I am so deeply in love with Him that words elude me! It is indeed an honor and privilege to know Him, to serve Him and to know that I will spend all of eternity with Him. Folks, I am absolutely blessed and highly favored and I want all the earth to know that Christ IS real, alive, true and awesome! He in me is the hope of glory!
“In ALL Your Ways Acknowledge Him….”
I didn’t make too many plans for today, except for working at home instead of going to my favorite spot, Barnes and Nobles. You see, I know that my son and I like to go to Barnes and Nobles after church on Sundays, so I figured today I would work at home. I also was going to see if I could find a ride to Wal-Mart to get a few groceries; however, God had different plans – and His plans is what I live for.
Today during my first devotion time with the Lord (started around 12:30ish since my daughter and I slept in this morning), I asked the Lord to just speak to me. And the first word that He said was “Go!” I began to question where: to Boston to see my mom? To New York for an assignment? To Virginia for something? Or somewhere else I hadn’t been? In my spirit, I knew these weren’t right. So I asked, “Go where? Is it in my region?” “Yes” He says. “Within ATL?” “Yes”. “So where do You want me to go, Lord? Wherever You want me to go, I will go.”
Barnes and Noble then came up in my spirit.
I immediately began rebuking myself because my initial thought was that I was tripping. But then I had to remind myself, “Naima, you know the voice of the Lord. On top of that, you don’t really want to go there today. Listen!”
Barnes and Nobles again came in my spirit.
So I then said, “Lord, You want me to go to Barnes and Nobles???” He confirmed in my spirit that I was to go there today. I asked Him, “I will go Lord. When do You want me to leave?” “2:30”. I instantly looked over at the clock and seen it was 1:47. “This doesn’t give me too much time to get ready” I thought to myself as I immediately got up to start getting ready. And as I was getting ready, the Lord let me know that I would meet a man today. Didn’t know when or why but I knew I would connect with a man today. So I immediately called a taxi and asked them to pick me up at exactly 2:30. They did.
The taxi service I called is the one I use quite frequently, and when the taxi arrived, the driver was a man, and in the passenger seat sat his wife. I had never seen either of them before; however, we seem to hit it off almost immediately.
“Where are we going?” the driver asked.
“Barnes and Noble.”
He then began to express his likes about Barnes and Noble and the conversation started from there. It shortly shifted to ministering by my inviting his wife to next week’s FIRE Group in Stockbridge. I began to describe who we are and what we do without my knowing even IF she was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ or not. She responded by saying that unfortunately she had a previous engagement that day, so I informed her we meet monthly and gave her the next date which is June 25th. She wrote it down.
Her husband then asked me what I was doing for the youth. I smiled because I had just told my daughter earlier that morning that I was going to begin FIRE Groups for teens – I was just trying to figure out logistics. I began to tell him that a group for teens is in the works and from there I began to notice that he has a burden for reaching out to our lost teens. The avenue that he was going to use to reach them was music. He began sharing with me how we cannot reach our teens with the same kind of Gospel music our grandparents listened to but instead by music that today’s youth would want to hear. I totally agree! You see, I was deeply into hip hop since it first began, and when I finally decided to fully submit and commit (be sold out) to Christ, the Lord then introduced me to Gospel hip hop and Gospel R&B. I shared this with the driver and his wife. He then asked me to listen to a song he had written and produced. He put on the song but unfortunately we had arrived at my destination shortly after the song began, so I asked him if he had a demo. He did and gave me a copy of the song. He asked me to be very honest with him about the song and asked me to ask my children what they thought of it as well. I said I would. We then exchanged contact information and then went our separate ways.
Simply Put: Just Obey God!
So, right now I am sitting in Barnes and Nobles typing this entry to you. I cannot say that I fully know the reason why me and this gentlemen and his wife had to meet today; however, I know it was divine and that God will reveal the rest in His timing. Once He does, I will update this entry with a part two. In the interim, let me point out the fact that obedience is key to your walk with God! You see, had I not called the cab at the time I did and ask them to have the taxi at my door at exactly 2:30pm, then I would’ve missed it – having a different driver. If I didn’t move on what God told me to do AND when He told me to do it, I would not have met this couple and would’ve missed the blessing that is coming my way as a result of my obedience.
Folks, we never truly know how far the ripples go and how heavy the impact when we move on what God tells us to do. And do understand that truth is also essential; for you will not really obey a person if you don’t trust they have your best interest at heart. Thus, when God tells you to do something, don’t try to batter Him with a series of questions and demand that He answers them BEFORE you move. No! You have to exact Proverbs 3:5, which says, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
I CHALLENGE YOU!!!
I challenge you today to step up in your trust and obedience of the Lord. First, decide that you will trust Him and that you will obey Him – NO MATTER WHAT! Do know that deciding is the first part, and I mean truly making that decision. Following this is making this conscious decision each day the Lord allows you to open your eyes. Decide that you will trust Him in both large and small matters. To help you with this and to foster growth in this area, I encourage you to find several Scriptures on obedience and its rewards (Deut 28) and trusting God (Pro 3:5-6); but in addition to these Scriptures, I strongly advise you to find Scriptures that focuses on God’s unfailing love for YOU! This is key! Not only will this help you in receiving His love but this is also the foundation from which trust and obedience is built. Speaking from experience, I promise you that if you do this and keep at it (no matter what), you will indeed see the fruit of this manifested in your life. Fruit like:
- A stronger, deeper, more intimate relationship with God;
- Your experiencing God’s peace on a more frequent to more regular basis;
- Greatly increased faith, trust, and obedience unto God;
- Your other relationships will also be positively impacted;
- A renewed mind in these areas;
- You’ll be a better witness for Christ;
- And much more!
I know that sounds like a sales pitch, but trust me, it’s not. These are just the natural by-product that comes with studying and meditating on these topics and Scriptures; and it just so happens that ALL of the fruit are awesome and life-bringing and life-changing! Halleluiah!
Prayer For YOU!
Father, I pray that the person reading this will lean his or her entire being and human personality on You in absolute trust and confidence in Your power, wisdom, and goodness and that he or she will have full revelation of the breadth, height, length and depth of your unfailing love. I pray that she or he may have a willing and obedient spirit, and that they may be filled with the full knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom, and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things. This I pray in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
(Colossians 1:4, 9; Ephesians 3:18)
SCRIPTURES ON GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU!!!
| Deut. 7:9 | Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands. |
| Eph. 2:4-5 | But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved |
| Zeph. 3:17 | The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” |
| Zechariah 2:8-9 | For He said, “Anyone who harms you harms My most precious possession. I will raise My fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” |
| Rom. 8:35-39 | Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord |
| Psalms 86:15 | But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness |
| Ps. 48:9 | Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love |
| Ps. 52:8 | But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever |
| Ps. 36:7 | How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings |
Originally written on Saturday, May 14, 2011 approximately 3:00 PM EST.
Real Talk Part II
Filed under: Deliverance, Godly Principles, Healing, Holiness & Sanctification, Inspirational Articles, Other, Relationships, Testimonies, The Faith Walk, Words of Encouragement
Current Mood: Anointed & 
Broken
There will be moments in your walk with God when it seems like He’s called you to hardship and keeps putting you in places where you feel alone, forgotten and forsaken. But the words “seem like” and “feels” doesn’t necessarily reflect the reality. Your reality becomes that which you give the greatest attention to, and in this case, it can be your feelings OR His Word. Your feelings change upon situations and circumstances, but His Word never changes regardless of situations or circumstances.
.
My child, I will never leave you neither will I ever forsake you!
.
Sometimes it feels as though there’s no bit of truth in that statement when you’re looking at increasingly dismal surroundings, and the people you had to leave behind in order to go where God is leading you seem to be doing GREAT! I mean Tony the Tiger Grrrrreat! They’re advancing in ministry or discovering new relationships or their businesses flourished; meanwhile, you’re on the other side of nowhere experiencing pain after pain, heartache after heartache, longing for something that seems close to normal, and wondering how you’re going to make it.
.
“God, where are You and what are You doing? When will this be over?” Or better yet…
“God, I thought this part was over!”
.
Then the next thing you know, your spirit is compelled to read and meditate on II Timothy 2:3-4:
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
.
Talk about words of encouragement.
.
“Is that all you have for me, Lord? Is that Your encouraging me?”
.
No. Remember what I have told you. Remember what I have shown you. Remember what I’ve said to you less than a week ago. Don’t be dismayed nor distracted on the things that are before you. You, my dear, just follow Me.
.
Tears fill my eyes.
.
But God, I feel so discouraged. I feel completely displaced. I cannot return to Virginia because that’s no longer my home. I can’t return to New York because that’s no longer my home. And here in ATL, this is not my home. God I feel displaced. And though You have given me great words for what’s to come, it is getting increasingly difficult to get past what is now. I’m hurt. I’m bruised. I’m tired.
.
Yet, follow Me.
God, all I see is brokenness and loneliness. All that I had is now gone. What I used to have was taken away and what I have now is not good enough.
.
Where are you looking at, My child?
.
All around – my surroundings. God, I hurt. I’m not strong enough for the task You’ve given me. I’m not the soldier that You’ve called me. I can’t do this!
.
You’re right. You can’t. Not without My grace and My Spirit, but because both are within you, you can and will do this. Even if you decided today that you didn’t want to do this anymore, there is something on the inside of you that is more powerful than your feelings, much more substantial and concrete than that which you see, and it is that which drives you, My dear. And that is My Spirit.
.
With tears streaming from my eyes….
.
I want to give up. But I can’t. Because my love for you is what’s truly real. The ache in my soul for You will only grow more intense than what it already is. But God, sometimes things seem so unfair. Sometimes, I just want what is normal.
.
Which is?
.
I don’t even know anymore! I know what I used to think, that is, before you corrected my focus from the seen to the unseen. And while yes, I need a HOME and I so need a CAR to live in a county where even public transportation isn’t available, what supersedes these things is You God. A part of me is angry about it, at least at this moment, and I don’t even understand why. All I know is that I love You and I can’t stop. Where can I go? There is nowhere to go. My destiny has been sealed and I am who You say I am, not man and surely not me. God, all I know is the pain I feel right now, God, and I don’t want to feel it no more. I don’t want it no more.
.
So cast it upon Me, because My beloved daughter, I deeply care for you.
.
God, sometimes it just doesn’t feel that way. I feel so afraid and so alone; as though I am way over my head. But I know that isn’t true because it’s not me who brought me here, but You, so I look to you to sustain me. However, I do know that I am in way too deep to turn around. And even if I wanted to give it a serious thought, to where would I go to?
YOU’VE CHANGED MY LIFE……… FOREVER!
I don’t want to go back even though I don’t like what I see right now nor how I feel. I know too much! I’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good and that His mercy endures forever. I know who my Messiah is. I have the witness of the precious Holy Spirit residing within me. Your Word …… IS ……My….. Life! I am far from perfect, but my heart is indeed pure, and when You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” I CAN’T turn back, Lord. My life belongs to You.
.
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
.
With a tear-stained face and a broken yet determined heart, I say…
.
Yes Lord!
.
Real Talk Part II - 2011
To read Real Talk Part I written in 2009, go to http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/12/23/real-talk/
(Last 2 Scriptures – II Timothy 2:3-4, Joshua 1:7-9)
What You Don’t Know IS Hurting YOU!
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Events, Godly Principles, Healing, Holiness & Sanctification, The Faith Walk, What Does the Bible Say About That?, Word of Exhortation, Words of Encouragement
Current Mood: Anointed & Blessed & On Fire 4 God! & 
Prayerful & Radical
Southside Atlanta, You Don’t Want to Miss This!!! Be sure to be here on Saturday, April 30th @ 1PM.
What You Don’t Know IS Hurting YOU! Come out and learn more about YOU!
The Power Was Already Given to YOU, BUT What Are YOU Doing With It?
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Deliverance, Godly Principles, Healing, Inspirational Articles, Prayers, The Faith Walk, What Does the Bible Say About That?, Word of Exhortation, Words of Encouragement
Current Mood: Anointed & Blessed & Radical & On Fire 4 God!
I am convinced that we as the body of Christ tend to travail in prayer over things that God has already given to us or has empowered us to do on our own. It’s like your 9 year old child asking you over and over again for a glass of milk, when you’ve already empowered him to go into the refrigerator himself and pour himself a glass. And because of our ignorance of our godly inheritance as detailed in the Word of God, after spending countless hours and even years praying about the same thing, we grow frustrated, believing that God has ignored our request when that couldn’t be farthest from the truth.
It’s time for us to know, and I mean REALLY KNOW, who we are as children of God and what our godly inheritance entails. Sad to say, many of us only know that when we leave this earth, we’ll be with Christ for all eternity; which is beyond great! However, God gave us things for us to enjoy NOW, while on earth! He’s also given us ALL power AND authority over ALL the power of the enemy. And yes, while we may hear this Scripture quoted during Sunday service and though we ourselves may even quote this Scripture, half of us don’t really believe it while the other half don’t understand it enough to be able to practically apply it to our everyday lives. Lord, help us!
Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing in brief a few facts about WHO we are in Christ and WHAT we have in Him and HOW we can enjoy or deploy these things now, as God intended. Of course, my primary book of reference will be the incorruptible, infallible Word of God. I will also use other books written by trusted Christian authors who may expound upon a particular verse or topic in a way that makes it easier to understand; ultimately making it easier for life application.
To get the ball rolling, I am posting a prayer that I found in a book written by John Eckhardt titled Prayers that Rout Demons (2008). This particular prayer is titled Binding and Loosing, and is a prayer that I sometimes use in my own personal prayer/declaration time. Jesus said in Matthew 16:19:
“And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
The Word of God also states in Proverbs 18:21:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Beloved, God has given YOU as a believer great power, even right now; for you have your mouth speaking in agreement with the God’s Word which is a POWERFUL COMBINATION! I do recommend that you pray/speak/decree this prayer ALOUD after first reading it so that your mind/heart and mouth can be in agreement as you’re reading. Do know that these declarations are either actual Scripture verses or based upon biblical principles. Nevertheless, for some of you this may be the first time you’re praying such a radical prayer. In such case, if there is any particular prayer verse you don’t feel comfortable declaring as of yet, don’t! However, I do recommend that you research the verse from Scripture so that you don’t give room for the enemy to trick you out of victory.
Immediately following this prayer is my personal prayer for you, in the name of Jesus! Be encouraged and inspired!-
BINDING AND LOOSING
- I have the keys of the kingdom, and whatever I bind on Earth is bound in heaven, and whatever I loose on Earth is loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19)
- I bind the kings in chains and the nobles with fetters of iron (Psalm 149:8)
- I bind the strongman and spoil his goods (Matthew 12:19)
- I bind leviathan and all proud spirits arrayed against my life (Job 41:5)
- I bind the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12)
- I bind all sickness and disease released against my mind or body
- Let the exiles be loosed (Isaiah 51:14)
- Let the prisoners be loosed (Psalm 146:7)
- Loose those appointed to death (Psalm 102:20)
- I loose my neck from all bands (Isaiah 52:2)
- I loose myself from the bands of wickedness (Isaiah 58:6)
- I loose myself form the bands of Orion (Job 38:31)
- I loose my mind, will, and emotions from every assignment and spirit of darkness in the name of Jesus
- I loose my city and region from every assignment of hell
- I loose my finances from every spirit of poverty, debt, and lack
- I loose myself from all generational curses and hereditary spirits (Galatians 3:13)
- I loose myself from every assignment of witchcraft, sorcery, and divination
- I loose myself form every spoken curse and negative word spoken again my life
Heavenly Father, I ask that You help the person reading this prayer know who they are in You and all that You have placed within them. Father, I ask that you give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, and let the eyes of their understanding be enlightened; that they may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power toward us who believe. I pray, Father, that this day marks the start of sure transformation into Christ-likeness, and that they begin walking in your awesome power, as well as the obedience, humility and love of Christ. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture(s) used in prayer: Ephesians 1:17-19
The Ultimate Test
Current Mood: Blessed & 
Faith-filled
One thing I’ve learned through my faith walk is that the closer we get to God, the more testing we must endure. And those tests become more and more strategic. To be a true Christian is to know God and to have relationship with Him. The closer we get to God, the more we learn that His ways, truly are not our ways.
The most recent stage in my faith walk has taken me on a journey from Virginia to California. I’ve made the ultimate statement to God, showing Him that I truly trust Him in every area of my life. I left a stable job, supportive family and great friends to move to an unknown land, upon God’s command and relying solely on Him.
The past three months have been full of excitement and difficulties. I learned and explored many new things and my relationship with God has grown stronger than it’s ever been. But this has been a true test of my faith – as I haven’t worked since relocating to California. God has not released my assignment in the natural to me yet. Though He has spoken life into my spirit on using the gift of writing to reach His people. And even though I have not found a job in the entire three months I have lived here, God has still provided for me, while allowing me to use my gift of writing to reach others. For me, Psalm 31:14-15 says it best:
“But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands.”
I know that the Lord is the Author and the Finisher of my faith. I know God as a provider. And I know that He rewards His faithful servants. And I completely and totally trust Him because of that. So why would I stop believing in Him now when the going gets tough?
When you are going through a season of testing it is vital to pray without ceasing. Contrary to popular belief, God wants us to remind Him of what He has promised us. The book of Luke shows us that it is right to pray continuously: “One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.” Spend quality time with God. Pray more than once or twice a day. Be consistent. When you feel beat down and weary, pray. That is when God hears you the loudest. There’s nothing the Devil hates more than a Christian who continues to pray in spite of their situation. When you pray without ceasing, you are telling the Devil, “God has my back, so back off!” And our Father loves nothing more than when His children stand up for Him. When we stand up for our Lord, our Lord stands up for us.
It is important to pray continuously, but we must also know how to pray. When we come to the throne, we should always pray, “In the name of Jesus,” because Jesus is our Intercessor to God. Jesus is the One who is forgiving and asks God to forgive us. Pray with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit provides protection and when we use that power, we are in essence, protecting ourselves while we pray. Address God as our Father, “Our Father in heaven,” as shown in Matthew 6:9. The Word teaches us the Lord’s Prayer, beginning with, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”
The most important part of prayer is recognizing that whatever we pray for, God answers it immediately. It is then our job to believe without doubt of exactly what shall come to pass. This is taught in Matthew 21:21-22:
“Then Jesus told them, ‘I assure you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
So it is simple. Pray, release God to answer your prayer and have faith. Because we all know that faith without works is dead. I know that God’s assignment for me in San Diego is greater than anything I could have ever imagined. And I also know that God is a provider and He never starts anything without finishing it. I look forward to the promises that God has for my life through prayer, and you should too. Pray expectantly through every trial and test you may have in life because the outcome is always great.
“When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” – Job 42:10
A Moment of Reflection
Filed under: Inspirational Articles, Other, Relationships, Testimonies, The Faith Walk
Current Mood: Blessed & Faith-filled & Humbled
.
REV. DR. CHRISTINA W. ROUSON
August 11, 1957 – January 26, 2010
A Moment of Reflection….
It’s rare to have a person in your life who knows your many flaws and mistakes, yet loves you as you are and treats you as the person she knows you’re becoming. To have someone who constantly teaches you how to be a mighty warrior and how to lead with humility, even when she was off the platform and was just being herself. A person who possess a heavy anointing from God and knew it, yet she was gentle and very down to earth. A person who has numerous accolades; however, she taught that the title to strive for above all else is “Servant”. By example she taught how to be a servant leader.
This person I speak of is none other than Rev. Dr. Christina W. Rouson. She served as my illustrious Pastor up until her passing on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. Her death was very sudden and very unexpected. When I first learned of her death later that afternoon, I went into shock. I just couldn’t process that she was no longer here. I saw her Saturday when we were both witnessing her husband (and our Bishop elect) being consecrated into the sacred office of Bishop. That following day, which was Sunday, I seen her and was able to give her a big hug and whisper in her ear, “I love you”, not knowing that those would be my final words to her.
Once shock subsided, anger began. It was short-lived, but it still did happen. I was angry with God for taking her away. “Why did you do this?” “Lord, this doesn’t make any senses. Why?” “Why didn’t you warn me or give me a clue?” as if I was privy or entitled to that kind of information. Now, I am the first to admit that God does NOT owe me or anyone anything and He can do whatever He very well pleases; however, I must be honest with you about how I processed all of this. Having lost so much already, especially over the last year, and now He takes my Pastor? She was a very important person to me and a major influence in my life. I do not profess to be a part of her inner circle, outside of being one of the ministers, but she by far was one of the most important people in my life. Now she’s gone.
Before I proceed, I want to share something interesting that happened to me on the day she passed away as well as a few things that happened a few weeks prior. On the day of her passing, Tuesday morning around 9-10ish, I began experiencing chest pains. It felt as though my heart was swollen or enlarged and I experienced a tremendous amount of pressure on my chest. This in turn caused my breathing to become shallow. I didn’t understand what was happening to me and I tried to just take it easy; however, that didn’t work. Later that day, around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, I got the news that my Pastor passed away from a heart attack, and from that moment I went into mental shock; however, my body was still experiencing these chest pains. After being unable to sleep that night and my children expressing their concerns (I too was concerned), I went to the hospital the next day. They admitted me into the hospital and treated me as a heart attack patient. They hooked me up to the EKG machine and gave me three tablets of nitro glycerin and injected me with pain meds; however, not even the injections of morphine could take away all of the pain and discomfort. They took a battery of tests, including a cat scan and a series of blood tests, drawing blood from me every 6 hours (side note: I hate needles). When all was said and done, the tests came back negative. They were not exactly certain as to why I was experiencing what I was; they had theories but nothing concrete. Needless to say, I was released the next day.
I 
returned home and took it easy; however, I was still upset with God. You see, nearly 2 years ago I went into a seemingly deep part of the wilderness and it is there where alot of old ways about Naima had died. “Egypt” had to die in order to be prepared to enter AND possess the “Promised Land”; and after losing my car, house, assets, people, family, certain comforts and other personal things, I was now being shifted into a place of restoration. I didn’t embrace this at first because everything still looked dismal from a carnal perspective. Even as I am now writing this, I am facing the real possibility of being homeless within the next 2 weeks and I don’t know what my family and I are going to do. Additionally, the day after I was released, my daughter and granddaughter moved out and this was also sudden. I have these and other things going on, yet the Lord has been dealing with me on restoration. Nearly two weeks prior to my Pastor’s passing, it finally began to sink in because of what the Lord said to me at that time. I remember waking up early one morning and going into my prayer room. I just laid there whining like a baby, asking things like, “God, where are we going to go?” “I can’t take this no more”. “Lord I can’t do this any longer” “When will this be over?” Yes, I was truly having a moment. But then God spoke these 7 words to me,
“Arise from the ashes. It is finished.”
At first I was like, “huh?” but eventually I began to pair this with what He had been telling me: He is now restoring me. And since I know that in the Kingdom of God, you have to believe and receive before you see it, regardless of how things may look, I AM in a restoration period. It’s time to build! God said it so therefore it is! It took me a little time to really get to this place, but now I am finally there. But now I’ve met another challenge and another loss, my mentor and Pastor was all of a sudden taken away.
Anger itself isn’t a sin but holding on to it can cause you to sin, so I knew I needed to release this anger. I cried out to God in prayer and expressed my anger to Him (He already knew anyway). He then humbled me by reminding me that before she was ever my Pastor, she was and is His. He began to remind me that she was a wife for more than 28 years, a mother, a best friend, a daughter, a sister and many other things to many other people, but ABOVE ALL, she is His. I repented. My Pastor was and is a reflection of God’s love and His glory. He poured into her so that she could pour into the lives of others, and now her assignment is finished.
God does everything perfectly and does everything for a reason. There is NOT one flaw in Him. He is excellent in all of His ways, and in order for you to truly endure and be faithful to God, you must become comfortable with the fact that you will never know or understand everything He does. In Isaiah 55:9, God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” That is fact, and this is why it is paramount for us to trust God.
Today I stand as a better person because God blessed me to know His humble servant, Rev. Dr. Christina W. Rouson, known to me and others as Pastor Christina. She epitomized a great woman, lady and servant leader, and she has seeded heavily into my life. And those seeds fell on good ground and I plan to carry out every mission and vision my Heavenly Father has set before me. Since under her leadership, I’ve learned to be a more obedient and more of a humble servant. I am not where I want to be but I am by far not where I used to be either. I’ve become a greater woman of faith, a stronger prayer warrior, a more loving mom, a patient daughter, a better sister, a good friend, a more humble servant, a great leader and an even greater follower (of Christ).
I close by using a term that I haven’t used, seen nor thought of since my junior high school years in NYC – up until this very moment. It just kind of popped in my head as I was writing this post. The kids and I would tag our names or our crews’ name with the saying I am placing under her picture. My Pastor was and is an extraordinarily classy lady, and I don’t think there’s any words I can use that encapsulates her personality, wisdom nor the impact that she’s made in the lives of many people. But if there was any person who this term was best fitting for, it would be this great woman, fearless leader and humble servant of God.
REV. DR. CHRISTINA W. ROUSON
August 11, 1957 – January 26, 2010
2 GOOD
2 BE____
4 GOTTEN
PASTOR CHRISTINA, YOU ARE CERTAINLY LOVED AND WILL BE MISSED BY MANY.
Until I see you again….
If you’d like to read more about this great woman of God and her ministry, CLICK HERE or visit go to www.sgomonline.org
.
About the Author
Name: Kimetha, aka "Kimetha"
Email:
Web Site: http://www.seeds4life.org
Bio: Kimetha is a 2005 graduate of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. She holds her undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in French. She currently works in the marketing department as the marketing assistant with For Rent Media Solutions, a division of Dominion Enterprises in downtown Norfolk, VA. Kimetha was raised in Herndon, VA where she attended Herndon High School. She is the oldest of four girls and embraces her role as the eldest child and role model. She has a passion for writing, which is displayed in her projects with For Rent in blog, article and search engine writing. Kimetha enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family. Kimetha currently resides in Portsmouth, VA where she is working towards the next phase in her life. To God be the glory.
Subscription Options:
Random Posts
-
I am ALIVE!!!!!!
Current Mood: Blessed & AnointedI started to question myself as a man a few weeks ago. I started to reflect on my life and I thought I would be a lot farther along my journey than I am right now. I never wanted to be back living in an apartment after a divorce or working [...]
-
The Power Of Gratitude
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s [...]
-
Simply Put, JUST OBEY GOD (Even in seemingly insignificant matters)
Current Mood: Anointed & Blessed & Highly Favored & On Fire 4 God! & Righteous IndignationI woke up this morning thinking to myself, “I am so blessed.” You see, God is so off-the-chain, so awesomely good and I am so deeply in love with Him that words elude me! It is indeed an honor and [...]
-
I am ALIVE!!!!!!
- Obama: NATO shifting to help peace in Afghanistan
- Dutchman Gesnik claims Tour of California crown
- Thousands begin NATO protest march through Chicago
- Tortorella takes shots at Devils, defends Prust
- Russia win ice hockey world championship
Entries from Naima’s eJournal
The Latest Top News
News Plugin created by Jake Ruston's Wordpress Plugins - Powered by Dior Sunglasses.