Joke for the day: Once upon a time there was a couple who had a house with a hole in the roof just above their bed. They looked at the hole and said, "I feel God telling us to fix the hole in the roof." They grabbed their tools and went outside but they noticed some dark clouds. They looked at each other and said, "I think we should fix the roof another day, it looks like it's going to rain and we don't want to get wet." 
 
How often do we tell ourselves, “I’m just trying to wait for the perfect time,” before we take action and accomplish the things that God has put in our hearts?

We tell ourselves, “I want to do it, but timing isn’t right,” “I don’t have time in my daily schedule to do it,” and my favorite, “maybe another time.” Waiting for the perfect time to do this or that keeps us from moving forward. What if the timing never becomes right? Does that mean we give up on our dreams? Does that mean that we never accomplish those God things? Not only should we ask ourselves these questions, but we should also ask, “What will I miss if I don’t step out and how will it affect me or others if I don’t take action?”
 
We are often bombarded with uncertainties, doubts, fears, and undesirable circumstances. How many of us have witnessed the devastation of Covid-19 and decided that the timing isn’t right to move in the direction of your goals and dreams? We cannot predict the future. Circumstances may not always be the most desirable, but that doesn’t mean that life stops and it also doesn’t mean that you stop dreaming or casting vision and it definitely doesn’t mean that you pause on taking action. Adjustments may be needed but we are very capable and strong enough to make transitions and keep moving forward. Our God dream doesn’t stop because circumstances seem to put the brakes on our vision. We have enough mental pizzazz (smartness) to find ways to keep our dreams moving forward.
 
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NLT) says, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
 
The first part of this verse says, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.” Israel was built on agriculture. They had to plant seeds and wait for them to grow for their livelihood. If they looked at the weather and said, “Oh no, this is not a good day to plant anything, look at this weather,” they would never plant and they would face some serious consequences. It's like choosing not to work because it's raining. Our actions have consequences.
 
If we are always looking for conditions in our lives and in our society to be perfect, we will never move. We will never start new things. We will never take action. It doesn’t matter to us that God is giving us a desire to accomplish something, we are always looking for perfect timing. God didn’t tell us that timing would be perfect. When apostles went out to plant new churches, timing was anything but perfect. Yet, they still went out. As a result, we can come to faith today because we have the knowledge of their teaching.

God has given you a desire to start something that other people may need. Don’t sit on your God dream.
 
My dream of being a writer and starting my business didn’t stop because of Covid-19, it just transitioned. I do meetings online. I took a week long online course. I have had time to re-write business plans, develop marketing strategies, and come up with new ideas. Use everyday as a stepping stone. Even now, there are online sessions, meet-ups, classes, discussions, etc. that you can be a part of. You can take an hour each day to write out a plan or if you’re like me, write and edit your next chapter. The point is keep moving. Don’t let yourself get into a funk (depression, sadness, loss of zest). Go ahead and plant!
 
The second part of the verse says, “If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” Harvesting was the act of physically bringing in the crops. It was work. If the people in Israel said to themselves, “Look at those clouds, I am not going out there,” they would never bring in their crops. Likewise, if we continue to wait for favorable times, we will never get our blessing. Actually, we will miss our blessing because we are too busy watching the clouds. Note to yourself: Don’t be a cloud watcher. Get out there and make your dream happen. Your blessing awaits you.
 
When God is in your corner prompting you to move, the timing is always right. If we worry about all of our situations, we will never take action steps and if we never take action steps, we will never see the outcome. Listen, there is a blessing attached to your planting season. There is a blessing attached to your God dream. So, in the words of songstresses Mary Mary…
 
“Go get it, go get it, go get your blessing
Go get it, go get it, go get it
It's yo time, It's yo time, It's your time.” 
 
Dream Big and go after it.
- Lakisha B.

Three weeks ago I was staring at my tv, watching the news and thinking, “Wow, so much is happening so quickly.” The Corona Virus pandemic, happening all over the World, is now sweeping through America. Schools are closed. Many people are losing hours on their jobs. Some people are battling the illness itself or trying to stay safe by quarantining. Things seem uncertain. What will happen today?  What will happen tomorrow or even a few months from now? Our minds can be full of unanswered questions. If we take some time to pause and contemplate on God's goodness, his blessings, and his love for us we can begin to feel anxiety lifting off of us.
 
I was sitting here today thinking about the changes within my family. I contemplated on the good and the bad that have come out of this time. My kids have been home for about three weeks now and all of their classes are online. I never thought I’d be a homeschooling parent. On one hand, I enjoy being home with my children and on the other, I’m considering the things that this event has taken away. My daughter is in her senior year of high school. I will not get to see her enjoy her high school prom and likely, I will not get to see her high school graduation. A lot of things are dampened. However, this time has also brought its blessings. I have been able to rest, spend more time with my family (although my kids are eating everything), and get back into my writing. My daughter was accepted into UCLA and different people have poured in support for my family (financial support, groceries, and scarce supplies). At a time when toilet paper has become the new gold, all I can say is that in spite of these circumstances, I can still count my blessings.
 
When we are shaken by negative circumstances and life gets disrupted by things out of our control, we have to have confidence in God. We have to know that even in the middle of it, he is still blessing us. King David, in Psalms 27, understands what it’s like to go through hard times. Though he was battling a visible enemy, and we are fighting an unseen, airborne enemy, he showed us an example of what it means to fully trust God. He says, in Psalm 27:13, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (NASB).”
 
David had hope that God would bless him just as he had done in the past. Are we able to see God’s blessing even in the middle of Corona Virus? I have seen people coming together and supporting each other. I have watched people figuring out new ways to reach the homeless and the elderly. I have witnessed God supplying my family’s needs. As we face this pandemic, let us put our attention where it really matters, on God. It’s hard not to think of all the bad things happening around us when they are right in front of you, but we also have to remember that God is still in control. As long as you are in God’s family, you will always have what you need. Life may not always give you what you want but if you keep trusting in God and believe that things will work out for your good, you will be able to get through this time with peace, joy, and the ability to see God’s blessing.
 
I pray this for you,
 
Heavenly Father, thank you for being the one that we can lean on in troubled times. When life is uncertain and chaotic, you have a way of giving us assurance that everything will be ok. Uplift every reader and give them peace. Bless them to have the awareness that you are in this with us. Give us the ability to see your blessings even in the middle of all that is happening around us. Free us from the chaos, keep us healthy, continue to bless our families, and work miracles for ourselves and our neighbors. Thank you, Oh Lord that you are in control. We praise you for who you are in Jesus name, Amen.
 
Lakisha B.

When you were younger, in particular settings, did you ever hear your parent say, "Sit still?" Many kids are squirmy and cannot sit for a very long time without twisting and turning.  Kids have lots of energy but as they get older they learn to sit for a longer periods of time. By the time we are adults, we can sit through long seminars, classes, church services, etc. Sometimes we learn a lot by sitting still. We watch and listen, and it helps us to approach life better. 

When Israel was up against the Assyrian army, they took their eyes off of the protection of God and began to put their trust in having help from Egypt. They “trust[ed] in the shadow of Egypt” (Is. 30:2 KJV), which meant that they put Egypt in God’s place. They formed an alliance to gain men and horses to help them fight the Assyrian army, but this was not God’s plan. God’s plan was for them to trust in him as their deliverer. The problem with Israel was sin. They failed to trust God and they didn’t seek him for a solution to their problem. If only they would “sit still.” Isaiah 30:7 said, “…therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.” Israel’s strength was for them to humbly rely on God, wait on his plan, and trust in his time of action.

What are we anxious about that keeps us from sitting still? What are we afraid of? What are we up against?

When things get hard it is easy to take our eyes off God and begin thinking of other solutions to our problems. What can we do to get rid of this road block? What can we do to avoid this immediate pain, frustration, fear, etc.? In life we will experience all kinds of emotions, but we cannot allow our emotions or what we feel or see cause us to turn away from God’s plan. Your current problem may seem like a road block, but it is only a façade. When we trust in God, he is our strength and nothing can stand in His way. Therefore, nothing can stand in our way. Picture your road block crumbling. Picture your path cleared. Picture yourself ready to stride towards your goal. Above all, picture God leading the way.
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We cannot allow ourselves to react to difficulties without seeking God’s plan. Pray, read the word, or seek counsel from another strong believer. There are many ways to “sit still” and ready yourself to hear God’s plan of action. Don’t get sidetracked by the road block. It’s only temporary. One of two things can happen: the road block will be removed or God will show you another path. Either way you win. Walk through your difficult situation knowing that you are a winner. God has a plan and your road block doesn’t stand a chance.

-Lakisha B.