Tag: self empowerment

No Lost Cause

Chandra K

My cousin, Bricesen, posted a status on Facebook and one sentence, in particular, caught my attention. He said, “There is NO such thing as a lost cause.”

So many times we hear, or may have even said out of our own mouths, that a particular person is a “lost cause.” Maybe we think that because the situation has multiple components or the circumstances seem too complex. We deem it hopeless or helpless. While it may be true that a particular situation could be cumbersome, we have to know that absolutely NOTHING – and by nothing, I do mean NO-THING – scares God away from us.

Paul deemed himself the “Chief of Sinners.” This means that he was the leader, the master, or the ruler of sinners….but Paul also stated that He (Jesus) still came to save those that may find themselves in this category. Even in acknowledging his sinful nature, Paul uses himself to exemplify the power of being found by grace!

He meets us where we are! The beauty of it all is this, when we think we’re lost, He comes to find us and He makes the “lost place” our starting point! I heard a preacher say, “We can not say that we know God to be a lily in the valley, unless we have experienced Him in the valley.” This means that while we may have been in one of our lowest places, He met us there. And when He meets us there, He doesn’t leave us there. HE LEADS US OUT!!!!

I remember God telling me that He isn’t hiding from me; I’m just not seeking Him. He remains out in the open waiting for us to come to Him. However, we complicate things by thinking our situation or circumstances are too complex for Him and we stay away. But guess what He does?! He pursues you! Imagine that. The all powerful, almighty God…pursing me?! On my best day, I am still filthy. But He still chooses to pursue me.

Even if you’ve dedicated yourself to the “lost place,” He still wakes you up and gives you breath in the morning. He still enables you to function in HIS world, all while providing your EVERY need. In the midst of pursuing you, He still desires to care for you! 

Basically, I’m saying when we count ourselves as a lost cause, He sees us differently. My cousin was right. There is NO such thing as a lost cause, especially in Christ Jesus. You’re not a lost cause. Hope is still for you and your Savior is still pursuing you! YOU ARE NOT BEYOND RECOVERY! 

Your “lost place” is not the end! At the end of it all, we can all have the same testimony, I once was lost but now I’m found!

Note To Self

Chandra K

When people say “note to self,” they’re usually referring to making a reminder to do something important. This is their way of relaying a message, to their future self, that important actions need to be taken. Regardless if it’s an appointment that can not be missed, a meeting that needs to be rescheduled, a message that needs to be conveyed, a job that needs to be completed, or just a thought that needs to be remembered, the “note to self” is an indication that ‘IT’ is of great importance.

Question: When was the last time you made a note to your future-self? Or have you ever even considered your future-self? As simple as it may sound, it makes a bold statement. When you make a “note to self,” you’re stating this:

“Future me, (INSERT YOUR NAME), in 12 daysyou have a meeting with Mr. Johnson concerning your next endeavor.”

Now, this may seem elementary but when you consider perspective, it changes from just an appointment to preparation. Meaning, I have 12 days to prepare and equip myself for my upcoming meeting. I have 12 days to plan and execute. This note to myself prepares me today to be the best version of me in the future. 

Sometimes, the best notes aren’t the ones we make to ourselves, but the ones that are addressed to us from others. Biblically, Jeremiah 29:11 is a note to your future-self from your Father. This note is laced with hope and promises for your “unseen.” Center your plans and notes around His note written to you. His note guarantees to give you a future!

Lastly, consider your goals and make a note to yourself for the next 30 days. Speak to your future-self about the important things that are to take place on that particular day and prepare your current self for what’s to come in the future. When you speak to and evaluate the future, you give yourself time to prepare. When you’re prepared, the best version of you always shows up!

Casting VS Carrying

Chandra K

IMG_0339

Ever took a minute to think about what happens to our body when we worry and stress ourselves out? It breaks down and develops some form of sickness. Think about it. We become stressed out and our head starts aching. We worry and our blood pressure rises. We over work and overwhelm ourselves and out of no where, here comes a stroke. These thoughts and worry’s interfere with the functioning of our anatomy. Being worried does more than cause emotional stress, it causes physical stress.

Now I know it’s easier said than done but we have got to stop worrying and start casting, especially those situations that we can do absolutely nothing about. As a believer, it’s like you’re telling God, “I want to handle my own problems. I would rather carry the load instead of trusting You.” He has specifically instructed us to cast our cares on Him. Simply put, throw him everything that concerns you! To cast means to throw. To me, throwing signifies that you have no desire for the thrown item to be in your possession. So you do not carefully place the item beside you but you throw it because you have no desire for it to be in your presence. I’m convinced, we were not built to carry stress.

I am very guilty of carrying unnecessary loads. For some reason, I had convinced myself that I was strong enough to handle it all. Over time, I learned that I was sooo wrong! As strong as I may be, my strength, alone, is nothing compared to the cares and troubles of life; especially when I’m attempting to carry mine and other folks’ too! One day I started noticing the reactions my body were giving me because I was stressed out. When I become stressed and upset, my abdominal area starts aching because my body becomes very tense. But when I’m happy and stress free, my skin looks clear and my limbs tend to feel loose and free!

Listen to me!!! YOU ARE NOT SUPERHUMAN! You were never meant to carry the extra. He tells us to CAST not CARRY! See the difference? One places the weight and the other releases the weight. I’ve made the decision to release. One reason is because my physical body can not handle the stress and another reason is because that was never my job from the beginning. And it’s not your job either! Your family needs you around. Stop stressing and causing sickness because you’re carrying unnecessary weight. You were not built for stress.

Start casting!

Impact Strength

Chandra K

img_2137-editIt all boils down to one thing, you have what it takes to survive!

This past week, I was blessed to sit under the teachings of Pastor T.L. Taylor of Memphis, TN. While he said many things that caught my attention, one thing really stuck with me though. He gave an analogy about a basketball and a bowling ball. He stated that if a basketball and a bowling ball were to be dropped simultaneously, at the same time, the basketball would bounce back up while the bowling ball would remain on the ground. The conclusion is, the basketball was just built out of the right material to handle the impact and bounce back while the bowling ball was not.

We could easily use this analogy and apply it to our lives. Let this be hope to you! Ever wondered how you were still going when life has hit you with so many blows? Maybe you’ve questioned why you’re able to bounce back and not quit after so many failed attempts. Or maybe you’re unsure how you’re able to handle the pressure and endure so much adversity. It’s simple. You’re made out of the right stuff! There may be times where you want to quit but your inner man keeps pushing forward.

Do we get tired sometimes? Yes. Do we want to quit? Yes. Does it feel good all the time? No. Definitely not. Truth be told, sometimes it may not seem worth it but because you have Impact Strength, you withstand and press on! Impact Strength keeps you from being broken when you’re dropped. Impact Strength keeps you from being destroyed when you’re mishandled. Impact Strength causes you to be able to smile when you’ve been wounded. Impact Strength keeps you focused in a world of confusion and disorder! You have impact Strength! How do I know? Because you’re still here! You haven’t given up! And you won’t! Because you’re built out of the right stuff!

You’re clothed in strength and grace! Your make up is unique! So, no matter the situation, you’ve been dressed for impact! Even when you think you’re not prepared, your strength shows you other wise! Don’t underestimate your ability to bounce back! The ground can’t kill you and the walls won’t destroy you! You were built for it!

Empower Yourself

Chandra K

IMG_0282

If you’ve read any of my previous blogs, you’ll see that self empowerment is a big deal to me! I’m a firm believer of self empowerment! I truly believe that if we would take as much time to empower ourselves as we do looking for someone else to empower us, our lives would be much easier. We spend a great deal of time waiting for someone to tell us who we are and what our purpose for living is. Instead, we should be pushing ourselves to be better and to grow more. It’s not because we are being selfish or diminishing others, it’s because SELF MATTERS!

Think about how much of your life has been wasted on waiting. How much time have you spent preparing for a “shift” or a “movement” to happen? There is nothing wrong with expecting your “change to come” but the problem comes when we expect other people to cause the change to come. Let’s think about that…what if the other person is also waiting on their change? What if they are not assigned to you? Or better yet, what if they are assigned to you but they don’t feel like dealing with you? Now guess who’s being deprived? You are! And what’s even worse than that is, you’re being deprived because of your own personal choice! It’s because you choose to sit and wait on something from other people instead of empowering your own self!

Sometimes it’s as simple as educating yourself, or putting forth the effort to try, or stepping outside of the box, or just deciding to defeat laziness and complacency. One thing I always tell people is, “I do not promote division or separation, I promote self-empowerment!” We have too many people that are dependent on another person. Having support from others is good but please know that you may not always have the support you want. And when this happens, because you have empowered yourself, you will still remain in motion!

In my opinion, we would not have as many addictions and failed dreams if more people would empower themselves. Why is this my opinion? I’m glad you asked! This is my opinion because addictions and failed dreams often times stem from things like disappointments, hurt, fear, and temptations. But if we empower ourselves and build up our faith and confidence in God first and then build confidence in who He created us to be, those disappointments and hurts and fears and temptations would not rob us of our life! Our inner strength wouldn’t allow it! So I say, life is too short to wait on another person to talk you up or to reveal to you who you are. Be the person that you need! Then, count the extra as a bonus!